Love In The Open (LITO)
by LoveandEdify
Summary: What would happen if the blur lost his sense of purpose? Why does he do what he does? To find the answers, Tails sends him on a vacation to another world. A world where he is the same, yet different from everyone. Would he find everything he's seeking, or maybe even more than that? (Now Complete)
1. Chapter 1: A Hero's Quest

(Just to be clear, Zootopia belongs to Disney and Sonic belongs to SEGA. Only my story and my ideas are mine.)

Chapter 1: A Hero's Quest

"Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" A blue anthropomorphic hedgehog was falling down from the sky, screaming as he fell. But as he fell, he eventually regained his position and landed feet first onto a city sidewalk. Luckily, he was unharmed. But the fact that he just landed inside a city which he didn't know, was rather strange to him. Strange, yet calming. Who was he? He is Sonic the Hedgehog. A world-renown hero to his home planet of Mobius and of the planet Earth. He is the world's fastest being, and if you want to know how fast? Picture something going at the speed of sound. A jet, a rocket maybe. Now picture something going _even faster_. That's Sonic for you. He looked around the sidewalk and saw a bunch more anthropomorphic animals like him walk into a large amphitheater. Some stared at him, others (not wanting to be rude) ignored him and proceeded into the large theater. How did our hero get into this city? Well, let's start a few minutes earlier.

 _FLASHBACK_

 _MOBIUS, 12:30 P.M., RADICAL HIGHWAY_

 _Sonic was running faster than the speed of sound to try to get to the TechnoDrome bank. Radical Highway connected to a very popular part of Mobius called Central City. After successfully running through the immense traffic leading out of the city, he jumped up towards a really high skyscraper, performed several lightning-fast somersaults in the air and landed, then parked his red sneakers on the building, then did the somersaults again. This was a signature move of Sonic's called the Spin Dash. Once he finally reached the top of the building, he could finally see the TechnoDrome. It was a huge dome shaped building built on top of four steel pillars. After observing that the lights on, Sonic immediately recognized the shadow of an unmistakable nemesis robbing and pilfering the bank. "Eggman again?!" Sonic said in dismay, "Well, at least he gave me something to do tonight. As if it's really going to be a tough challenge though." the confident hedgehog said, as he sped off towards the bank. As he effortlessly ran and leapt over the roofs of several apartments, he finally Spin Dashed his way into the bank, accidentally breaking a window. Sonic looked at the busted window, sighed, and said "Oh man, I'm going to be in some trouble for this." He then heard loud mechanical footsteps approach from behind him. "But not as much trouble as you're gonna be in for robbing the bank Egghead!" he shouted as he confidently turned to face his lifelong nemesis. Dr. Eggman, a tall, somewhat chubby man with a brown zigzaged mustache on his evil face, was inside a giant frog-like robot inside the bank. It was almost an exact replica of a red-eyed tree frog. If tree-frogs were gigantic, made of metal, and had computers inside of it. The "Dr." part of his name isn't a moniker or a nickname. No, this evil genius actually earned that title after his first fight with Sonic. Since then, the pair have fought countless times, but no matter how slim the margin or how seeming the defeat, Sonic always found a way to destroy whatever evil plot his enemy had for him, and His World. "Oh come on Sonic. Admit it, this is my greatest invention yet. And also, you can be sure that this plan will indeed work this time." "And it will work...how...exactly?" Sonic taunted. "You know, I could waste my time by telling you, but I need to 'hop to it' to steal everyone's money and leave everyone no choice but to be my slaves to earn it back." Eggman rebutted. Sonic not only knew how to physically win a battle, but had plenty of ways to mentally win a battle as well. "I thought you weren't going to waste my time." Sonic responded, as he jumped, spin-dashed into the robotic frogs LED red right eye and busted the lights on it. Sonic then started running around the bank as Eggman's Frog-Bot started leaping towards him covering immense space. The frog was also firing missiles at him from its mouth, but they seemed a little off target. Especially for Sonic, who successfully dodged missiles like this before even when they were on target. "You know Eggman, you should stop making things too easy for me." He spin-dashed the Frog-Bot's other eye out and landed on top of the giant robot. The Frog-Bot then was about to jump out the window, but not before Sonic quickly jumped off the robot as it leapt out the same window Sonic previously busted. As it was starting its descent, Sonic jumped out the window and was looking for an opening in the bot. He finally found one in the mouth, so he spin-dashed towards it, lifted it up, and ran through it to find Dr. Eggman attempting to activate an escape pod. Sonic smirked, then ran to the doctor. "Come on, escape pods, that's no fun" Sonic said as he grabbed Eggman's wrist, ran him out of the opening and effortlessly flipped the doctor into a police chopper. "Take it like an Eggman and don't crack." Sonic said as he smirked, winked towards the frusterated grimace of his enemy, and leapt off the plane, placed his feet along the side of a skyscraper, ran down it, then stopped on the road. Millions of people and animals all gathered around the hero as if he were a movie star and were cheering him for his efforts. Sonic simply smiled, spun 360, stuck a finger from his left hand, and waved that hand. Some anthropomorphic animals present actually did go as far to take pictures as the crowd was wildly cheering "So-nic, So-nic, So-nic…"_

 _FLASHBACK ENDS_

 _PRESENT DAY_

Our hero now curiously looked at the line of animals before him, so he ran to a ticket booth to find out what's going on. "Hey look buddy, can't you see that you need a ticket to get in." A rhino grumpily informed Sonic. Sonic then looked down at the sign that said "Tickets: $5" he looked at the guard and said, "Look buddy, I'm not from around here. I just want to see what the line was for." The rhino, seemingly more friendly-looking now, understood that this blue hedgehog was an outsider. "Well, if that's all you want to know; there's a big Gazelle concert going on tonight if you want to get in, but you still need to pay the $5 buddy." Sonic now knew that the ticket-taker was a friendly guy who didn't see many outsiders. He also correctly assume that Gazelle was a famous singer. Sonic looked, and then realized he didn't bring any money on his trip. He then frowned defeatedly and started to walk away, when all of the sudden, a black panther strode up and tapped Sonic on the shoulder. "Hey listen buddy, you forgot to bring money?" Sonic didn't want to bring any attention to himself, especially since the rest of this new land hadn't heard about him. "Yeah, I did." Sonic lied. "Well, I'll tell you what, I have an extra 5 right here. How about you pay that to the guy and have a good time." the panther smiled and said. Sonic didn't want to take the panther's money, although he did think it was very generous of him. "Look, I'll find a way to pay you back…" "It's no trouble really" the panther replied, as he paid the 10 bucks to the rhino. "You're paying for him Manchas?" the rhino asked. Manchas just nodded and Sonic stood amazed at how quickly he found generosity in a stranger. "Well, here's your ticket. Find the Section and Seat Number and you'll be fine." the rhino said, as he flashed him a smile. Sonic then thanked Manchas, flashed the rhino a return smile and ran to look for his seat.

 _Ok guys, that's the first chapter, like I said, I don't know how often I'll be updating because of studies and life, but I hope you'll all like it. Next chapter: Sonic sits down, enjoys a show, and meets 3 Zootopian legends in one night. Also, how did Sonic actually get here in the first place after beating Eggman? Find all that out next time. See you then._


	2. Chapter 2: A (Fight) Night to Remember

_Hey guys, so I actually got my first review and to answer their question, you'll have to read to find out. Anyhow, I was stacked with school this week and I'm looking forward to starting the next chapter of my little project. Here we go._

Love In The Open

Chapter 2: A (Fight) Night to Remember

The blue blur looked at the ticket in his hand and tried to find his seat. Well, ok, trying was more like running around really fast trying to find his seat and accidentally bumping into fellow animals, but still, he was looking for his seat. He finally found a nearby arena manager, who happened to be a spotted leopard with flowing blonde hair, who was of average height and build in a custodian suit. "Excuse me mam." Sonic said to the guard. Normally Sonic wasn't the type for casualties, but this being the first time he was in this new world, he didn't want anyone to think he was a bad guy. The leopard looked at him with a kind look from her dashing hazel eyes. "Hi, so, could you tell me how to get to this seat?" Sonic asked, showing her his ticket. The leopard then grabbed Sonic by the hand and escorted him to his seat, which happened to be one of the best seats in the whole arena. Sonic thanked the leopard, who went back to her job. "Hmm, so this new world has a lot of nice people. I wonder who this 'Gazelle' is. And here I was supposed to be going on a vacation and rediscovering what my purpose is in being a hero. Oh well, I got one of them down. I'm really enjoying it here. I guess I'll have to wait a while for the purpose-finding part of the…" Sonic's thoughts were interrupted by a rabbit and a fox coming into the seats next to him, appearantly getting ready for the concert. "Maybe they know about this place." Sonic thought. "Excuse me, bunny?" Sonic said. The young rabbit looked at him, wondering what kind of a creature this is. "Don't be scared, I'm friendly. I just wanna know if you've seen this singer before."

"Oh, well I've heard a couple of her songs, but this is the first concert we've been to" the rabbit replied. "We?" Sonic asked. The bunny immediately realized that the blue hedgehog was not from around Zootopia. "Oh, I'm sorry, you probably don't know us. Officer Hopps, ZPD, this fox is my coworker/friend, Nick." Nick smiled at Sonic and offered him a firm handshake, which Sonic returned with a firm one of his own. "Nice to meet you buddy. Although I usually know everybody around here, I don't think I know you." Nick said with a smile. Although Judy seemed to have become friendly with the creature, Nick felt a little more suspicious about him than his long-eared companion did before. "Well, since you know everybody, who is this 'Gazelle?' Some kind of comedian?" Nick growled at Sonic's remark and was nearly about to make a move at him, until Officer Hopps stopped him by holding up her paw. "Whoa Nick, he's a stranger, he probably doesn't know who she is." the bunny cautioned her friend. "Gazelle is the greatest singer in all of Zootopia." "Zootopia?" Sonic responded. "Yes, you're in Zootopia. Mr.?..." "Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog." Sonic said, flashing her a signature thumbs up. "And you are…" "Judy Hopps." Judy replied, sticking out her paw, which Sonic shook in response. "So, you said something about the ZPD, what does that stand…" Sonic had his question interrupted by the room going dark, then, all of the sudden, bright spotlights flooded the golden gazelle and four tigers, who appeared to Sonic to be her dancers.

"Good evening Zootopia" Gazelle greeted the audience, who immediately stood up and cheered.

"Come on everybody, put your paws up in the air."

"I messed up tonight, I lost another fight, I still messed up but I'll just start again." As Sonic moved his body to the beat, he was doing a mental critique of the pop singer. "Wow, she definetly has a great voice. I wonder what other songs she has out? I better ask Judy if…" Sonic stopped, then saw something strange. While the audience was focused on Gazelle, what they didn't see were four timberwolves sitting on top of the stage lights, all pointing machine guns towards Gazelle. Using the audience's selective attention to their advantage, these wolves were looking for a perfect shot, thinking no one could see them. Except someone did. Before Judy could say, "Wait, where are you going?" Sonic bolted up through the arena to try and stop the wolves.

While Gazelle was singing, Sonic tapped one of the wolves on the shoulder. While the wolf looked to see what it was, Sonic punched him in the chest, making him lose his balance and fall off the stage lights, but not before Sonic grabbed his gun and emptied it. This made the other wolves notice, but before they could react, Sonic used his lightning fast speed to make two of the wolves fall off the stage, and emptying both of their guns as before. As the final verse of the song came, one different wolf hopped onto the stage with a knife in his hand. Everyone in the audience was panicked to see a wolf in a ninja costume appear on the stage, but that didn't stop Gazelle from singing her last line.

"Try Everything." But before the wolf could make his move, Sonic leapt in front of the wolf and started to fight him. Gazelle looked in startled amazement at what was going on. "Everyone get out NOW!" Sonic screamed, as he stared down this new wolf. Everyone complied, but Gazelle's tiger backups wanted in on the fight as well. "Get Gazelle to a safe place" Sonic told them, "I'll take care of this guy myself." "Oh you will, will you?!" The wolf growled in a frightening tone. "Then who will take care of you?" "Hey, I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself. Unlike you on the other hand. Why are you wearing your sister's ballet dress anyway?" The wolf growled in rage at Sonic's taunt as he tried to go for his wrist, but Sonic's reflexes were too quick as he moved his wrist out of the way, slid under the wolf's legs, and pushed them from under him, causing the wolf to fall down. Then, Sonic did a spin dash on the wolf's back, expecting him to stay down. However, the wolf quickly got back up as if he wasn't hit at all. "You sure don't go down easy." Sonic said. His new foe simply snarled at him, then readied his knife. Sonic got into a confident posture to defend himself from the wolf. However, before he moved, Sonic heard a scream from right behind him. "Behind you." yelled Gazelle, who happened to be watching the fight the whole time. Sonic saw the wolf with the knife charging towards him, giving Sonic an idea. Just as the wolf attacking from the front flashed his knife, Sonic ducked, making that wolf accidentally stab the one attacking Sonic from behind. Sonic then kicked the wolf with the knife to escape from being pinned, then grabbed his knife paw, grab his other one with it, stood on his back, then grabbed both of the wolf's paws and forced them to the ground.

 _15 minutes later._

The ninja wolf, along with the rest of his crew, were escorted to a huge police truck to be arrested and headed off to jail. "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say will be used against you…" Sonic heard Judy say as she was escorting the wolf to the truck. Sonic then grinned at his accomplishment, proud about the job he had done. "Not bad there hero." Sonic turned, to find Gazelle, sitting next to him on the stage. "Oh, it was nothing, really." Sonic replied. "Nothing? You just saved my life, and the lives of hundreds of Zootopians. Without your quick thinking, we all would have been dead, at least I would have been. So thank you." Sonic simply nodded at Gazelle, indicating to her that the compliment was well recieved. Gazelle smiled, when more footsteps came. "Sonic the Hedgehog, is it?" a tall, muscular cape buffalo in a ZPD uniform walked towards Sonic, looking the hedgehog square in the face. "Yes, I am he, and you are…?" Sonic asked. "I'm William Bogo, Chief of the ZPD or Zootopia Police Department. Officer Hopps told me that she saw you at the concert tonight." "Yes, that's right" Sonic replied, "I saw those wolves get their guns ready and I couldn't just let anyone get hurt." "I was actually at the concert as well, in a different section of course. Let me be the first to congratulate you on a job well done. If you don't mind then, oh that's right, you don't have a place to stay. Well, I'll have to have something done to reward you for your heroism." Chief Bogo's statement was followed by a rebuttal from Sonic. "Hey, you don't need to give me a medal or anything. The only reason I did what I did was 'cause I didn't want to see anyone get hurt." Chief Bogo looked a little disappointed, so Sonic added, "But thank you just the same sir." with an officer salute. The chief smiled, saluted back, and walked to the truck. It was then Sonic realized that whoopsie, he had no place to stay, whoopsie number two, he had no Zootopian currency, and whoopsie number threesie, he still didn't have too much of an idea about what Zootopia even was. Realizing this, Sonic sat down in defeat. "You could stay with me if you like." Gazelle offered. Sonic looked at the Gazelle. "Nah, I'll be fine." Sonic lied. Obviously, Gazelle wasn't buying the excuse. "You heard what the Chief said. Is it true you don't have anywhere to stay?" Sonic just shook his head in defeat. "Sonic, you will not be any trouble to me. I'm more than happy to have you as my guest…and as my friend." Sonic pondered those last 3 words. Sonic had a few friends back on Mobius, and all of his friends were loyal, good-hearted, and downright amazing whether it was helping him battle Eggman, or just simply playing a soccer game together. But this was the first time that a complete stranger, outside of His World even, showed that much kindness to him, even to offer their house to him. "Alright, hey, thanks for inviting me. I promise I'll leave when I can earn some dough." Sonic said. "Sonic" Gazelle said, gazing into Sonic's eyes, "You are my friend. You can stay and leave whenever you feel like it. And if there's anything you need, I'll help make it happen. I promise." Gazelle and Sonic shook paws as both of them walked off towards Gazelle's limo. Something told Sonic that this would be a great adventure.

 _Alright guys, thank you so much for reading. First off, you're wondering "Why the long chapters?" I don't know how often I'll update or even what I'll get in a chapter in a week, so I might as well put in a great effort with all I can. I was originally going to put down why Sonic left Mobius to go to Zootopia on this chapter, but I realized that would be best saved for another chapter. Also, to answer any JuNick reviewers, I will have the pair in later chapters, but I can't say how often they'll pop up because this story is more about Sonic and Gazelle. Speaking of, I wanted this to be a K+ story, but I had to change the rating as you could see with the duel in the arena. It will stay a T rating though. Comment what scene in Zootopia this chapter took place in, and also, give me some ideas about what you want to see in later chapters. I'll see you all next chapter. LoveandEdify out._


	3. Chapter 3: A Friend in Need

Love In The Open: Chapter 3: A Friend in Need

Sonic and Gazelle both walked each other to Gazelle's limo. After approaching it, Sonic

let the door open for Gazelle. "Oh, such a gentleman" Gazelle commented. Sonic

chuckled, "Come on. You're starting to make me blush." Sonic said as he got in the

limo. The driver, a fox with lighter fur than Nick, started the engine and revved off with

his mistress and her new friend in tow. "So, this is where it begins." Sonic thought out

loud to himself. "What was that?" Sonic turned to find Gazelle asking the question with a

curious smile on her lips. "I said, this is where my time in Zootopia begins." Sonic said,

hoping that would convince Gazelle he was fine. It seemed to work, because all

Gazelle did was stare out the window. After Sonic basked in the great sights of

Tundratown, Rainforest District, City Central, and many other Zootopian precincts, they

finally came to Gazelle's mansion in Sahara Square. The limo driver then parked the

car next to Gazelle's front door, while Sonic and Gazelle hopped out. As Sonic opened

the door to the mansion, he discovered that the mansion wasn't as big as he had

expected from a celebrity, but still big enough to be considered a mansion. "I hope you

enjoy your time here Sonic. Do you like my house?" Gazelle asked. Ever since Sonic

met Gazelle, she acted very genuine and gracious towards him. Sonic couldn't help but

wonder if Gazelle was really this nice, or if she was just acting this way because he

saved her. With everyone on Mobius usually being that way for the latter reason, Sonic

sensed something different about Gazelle. Something… he can't quite put his finger on

it yet. "Oh yes, I like it very much, thank you for letting me stay." Sonic said, still trying

to piece a puzzle of some sort in his head. "Well, come along, I'll give you a real tour in

the morning, but I'll just be showing you where you're staying for the night." Gazelle

motioned for Sonic to follow, which he obliged.

 _A few seconds later…_

Gazelle turned on the light-switch for Sonic's room, which was a guest room Gazelle

had in case someone needed to stay over. Although from the large size of it, "guest

Room" would be an understatement. The wall had plenty of autographed posters from

when she was on, but that wasn't the thing that caught Sonic's eye. Sonic had his eye

on a specific poster that was hung right next to him. It was a small poster that didn't

have all of the flash and flare the other posters had. It was about the size of printer

paper, as if she had just print the image on the paper. The picture took place on a

beach setting as Gazelle had her arm around someone mysterious. The mysterious

animal had a silhouette for a face with a ? mark on it. "Gazelle?" Sonic asked, before

Gazelle shut the door. "Yes?" she asked, rather kindly. "That animal on the poster next

to you" Sonic said, pointing to the printed copy. "Who is that?" Gazelle felt many things

go on in her heart. Memories, both of joy and sadness, rushed to her head. "Gazelle?"

Sonic said, snapping her out of an apparent trance she was unaware of. Gazelle

walked slowly to the guest bed where Sonic just went to. "Many years ago, I wasn't the

Gazelle you would be seeing now." Gazelle began.

 _Flashback._

 _Lope Beach, Ciervocia, 14 years ago._

 _10 year-old Gazelle was kicking a ball around with some friends of hers, when all of the sudden, she saw a very unfamiliar sight. Some animals were picking on a mongoose who was flapping around attempting to fly. "Ha ha. You silly goose. You'll never be able to get off the ground." a tall muscular honey badger said. The other three animals, who happened to be his friends, all gathered around to join in on the fun. "Yeah, I wonder who's gonna fly first. You or your sanity." Gazelle came close to the heckling, almost tempted to belt whoever made fun of this poor mongoose. However, she remembered something her father, a wise caring pronghorn, taught her a long time ago when she was 7. "Remember, might is only one way to make right." Gazelle waited for when the three bullies would leave. When they left, she saw the young mongoose standing confidently on the boardwalk. "Hey, are you alright?" Gazelle called to the bird. The mongoose responded by looking at her, asking "I'm fine, thank you…" before the mongoose could say another word, Gazelle asked her "Who were those guys?" "Oh, those guys. They're just a bunch of bullies." the mongoose replied. "Oh, I see. Why were they bullying you?" Gazelle asked. Although the mongoose affirmed she was ok, Gazelle sensed that something wasn't right. "Oh, because, well, because…" the bird stuttered. "You can tell me, it's alright." Gazelle said, with a voice like honey. She wrapped her arms around the bird, who was now crying into Gazelle's chest. "It's because I haven't learned to fly yet. I was born with two small wings and I can't seem to fly for some reason." the mongoose cried out. "There there, everything's going to be fine. What's your name" Gazelle said, while stroking the goose's tiny wings. "Molly. Molly Mongoose." Molly replied. "Well Molly, I think the reason you can't fly is because you've been giving up on yourself. I think if you really try hard and believe in yourself, you won't just fly, but soar as well." Gazelle replied. Molly was still crying and wiping her tears on her wings, but her tears were subsiding now. "Tell me Molly, have you ever seen baby birds when they first flown?" "I don't think so." Molly replied. "That's right, you haven't. Because baby birds don't fly out of the nest the first time. Those birds don't just fly, they fall down, and get up." Gazelle said. "You're right Gazelle. I will fly. Maybe not the first time around, but I won't give up and I won't give in. Thank you so much." Molly and Gazelle then embraced and then Gazelle went back to the beach to find her friends._

 _End of Flashback_

"Hang on, 'Birds don't just fly?' 'I won't give up, no I won't give in?' This is where that

song came from." Sonic said in realization with a grin on his face. Gazelle looked at

Sonic with joy in her eyes and replied, "Yes indeed. Molly and I went on to become best

friends, and we still are today. But that doesn't explain the poster."

 _Flashback 2_

 _Sahara High, Hallway, 6 years ago._

 _Gazelle was more accomplished than she ever thought she would be in her life. She was the youngest to win Zootopian Idol at age 15, she won the local high school pageant, made it on the Dean's List all 3 years of high school so far, and yet, she still remained a solid figure and a loyal friend to all. If anyone needed to talk to her, she was there. Even amidst all the popularity and fame. Especially even amidst her new boyfriend. A sleek silver wolf named Justin Timberwolf. He was a very handsome fellow, sharp, strong, smart, and Gazelle's mirror image in every way when it came to his heart. Well, until one day, when Gazelle noticed that his friend was hanging around a group of friends that were just goofing around from a distance. Although it only seemed they were playing around, Gazelle knew that her friend was falling under bad influence. Although Gazelle talked to Justin over and over about the gang, Justin wouldn't stop hanging around them. Until one day, Justin came to Gazelle and whispered the nine words she never wanted to hear. "Gazelle, things aren't going to work out between us." The way he whispered it was in the same silver tongue he had before, but Gazelle sensed the corrosion of his heart. The two had been through everything together and had always had each other's backs through thick and thin. But now, a broken-hearted Gazelle knelt down, crying and lamenting that her best friend, her love, had left her._

 _FLASHBACK OVER_

"So he just left you for the wrong crowd and never came back?! What a jerk!" Sonic

snapped angrily. "Yes. He was my best friend. But I didn't lose heart. He proved the

day when he chose the gang over me, he wasn't worthy of my heart." Gazelle said,

"The reason I printed that was because I know, that one day, there will be someone who

will truly love me like he once did. Someone who I can truly give my heart, my trust,

and my friendship too." Sonic wondered at how Gazelle, someone so discerning,

beautiful, kind, and wise hadn't found that soul-mate yet. But he _did_ know one thing.

He will show her the same kindness he was shown by her. "Sonic. There is one thing

I'm asking. It's late, so don't answer now, but just think about it, ok?" Gazelle asked.

The pair were tired, and Sonic was almost about to go to sleep, so he nodded. Gazelle

then whispered, "Why did you come to Zootopia?" Gazelle then kissed Sonic on the

cheek then whispered, "Goodnight my friend." as she turned off the light and closed the

door.

 _Well, that's it for this one. To give you a heads-up. Shakira owns "Try Everything." Not me. I just wanted viewers to gain a more personal feel to the story, so explaining what drove Gazelle in Zootopia to write "Try Everything." So, anyhow, next chapter we finally find out why Sonic's here to begin with. Comment below if you know what famous singer I spoofed when creating Justin Timberwolf. 'Night y'all._


	4. Chapter 4: Why?

_Alright guys, this is my fourth chapter with this fun story here. I want to send some thanks to Chimichangar for sending some constructive reviews for this story, and if any of you have input, feel free to send a review for this or any chapter. Speaking of Chimichangar, go follow his Sonic-Zootopia story Broken Glass. That one has definitely been a very great read, love where his story is going, do me a favor and give that one a favorite. So, for now, here we go, Chapter 4 baby!_

Love In The Open: Chapter 4. Why?

Although Gazelle told Sonic "Goodnight my friend," he still didn't have a good night's sleep. In

fact, he was having a _terrible_ time staying asleep. His eyes were shut, but his brain was still

running as fast as he _himself_ would normally run. Maybe even faster. Several thoughts

occupied his mind as he tossed and turned in his "guest room" bed.

"Oh man. I didn't know she'd ask that right off the bat." "How should I respond to her?" "Should

I even tell her at all?" "Would she even want to be around me if she knew the truth?" "What

would she think about me then?"... Sonic's thoughts swirled around his head like a tornado.

(Not Tails's plane, the X-Tornado, but a _real_ tornado twisting, turning, and wrecking

everything in its path.) Until, finally, a memory appeared in his sleepy mind.

 _Dream/Flashback_

 _Mobius, Yesterday, 15 minutes after Sonic's victory._

 _The reporters, as friendly as they were, tired Sonic out of his red sneakers with their many repetitive questions. "Hey Sonic, show us the pose." "Sonic, how did you ever guess his plan this time?" "Sonic, how were you able to do all those stunts?" Sonic usually liked being in the spotlight, showing off the moves, and answering questions. But today, something was different. This time, it felt as if the reporters that gathered around him were like annoying robotic telephone receptionists. Asking the same questions over and over again, never understanding the answers no matter how many times he explained it to them. They were good people with good intentions, but today, Sonic found this unending chatter too… routine. As if every day had the same things happen over and over again. Sonic finally was done with the reporters and decided to take a run to clear his head. "Oh man. What's going on with me?" "It seems that I haven't enjoyed my life as much lately." "All of these people I save, it's as if I've forgotten why I save them to begin with." "I mean, what's the point with all the fights, all the battles, and all the saving?" Sonic thought of all this as he ran, until he found a log next to a lake. Normally, Sonic was not a water animal, but today, he just couldn't help staring at his own reflection in confusion. As he stared at his reflection glaring off the lake, Sonic asked himself the following question. "Why."_

 _15 minutes later._

 _Sonic decided to give his good friend Tails a call to see what advice he could give him. Talis, a twin-tailed fox that can use his tails to fly like propellers, was Sonic's first and closest friend. If anyone could understand what Sonic was going through, he could. "Oh, poor Sonic." Tails said, while he was in his workshop. "It seems like you need some time to think." The twin tailed fox said into the phone. "You got that one right buddy." "I need a LOT of time pal." "But what about the city?" "And the people?" "And what is the point of it all?" Sonic said. Tails wasn't a psychiatrist, but he did know that the quicker his friend could have his vacation, the better._

 _15 MORE minutes later._

" _Here you go Sonic." Tails threw down a blanket that unveiled a new portal contraption that looked like something from a Sci-Fi movie. "Wow, pretty impressive Tails." Sonic said, giving his friend a thumbs-up for approval of his latest creation. "Now, how about getting me somewhere nice and quiet?" Sonic asked, hopefully. "I don't know about quiet, but I do know a place where you can think and still have a great vacation." Tails said. "Oh well, I'll take it. So where am I going?" Sonic asked. "Oh it's the place I went to last year to test out this portal." Tails said. "Right, the place you haven't told me about because you wanted to save that trip for my birthday." Sonic joked with a sneer. "HEY!" Tails screamed accusingly. "Don't look at me," Sonic admitted, "You were the one that accidentally included me in that group text, remember?" Sonic never lost his confidence during his personal ordeal, and he still was the same hedgehog that displayed heroism. It was just now that the confidence seemed more forced and manual, rather than free-flowing and natural to him. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Well, hop right in." Tails said, as the machine started to whirl up its mechanical magic. "And Sonic," Tails said one last time before Sonic was about to hop in. Tails embraced his friend. "Be careful Sonic." Sonic returned the embrace, then broke out, waved, then jumped into the portal. However, not all things are as they seem to be in dreams._

 _15 YEARS later…Mystery Location..._

 _Whooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaa!_

 _(KB's Sideways starts to play)_

 _("Sideways, Came in this thing sideways, Get turnt get lit Sideways, Haters lookin' at me Sideways…)_

 _This time, however, Sonic span REALLY FAST, even too fast for him in a swirling tornado, until he fell with a solid hard crashing THUD to the ground. Sonic groaned as he held his head as he tried to recover from the headache. However, this time, Sonic was sent straight to Sahara Square. This time, he was the only one there, and the city was desolate. Almost like an Old Western ghost town. "Sonic?" a soft tender female voice called out from nearby. Sonic was shocked to discover Gazelle lying down next to a cactus as she turned to see him. Sonic ran over to her to make sure she was ok. But this time, she slapped his hand with her hoof. What shocked Sonic is that as Gazelle slapped his hand, it almost disappeared, as if Sonic were a ghost. "Why didn't you trust me?" Gazelle asked brokenhearted, with tears in her eyes. To say Sonic was shocked was an understatement. "What are you talking about?! Are you ok?" Sonic asked as his scared green eyes looked into her clearly hurt brown ones. "Why didn't you tell me who you were? And what you were going through? Sonic, I was your friend. I thought you trusted me. You could've came and asked me to be a part of your life. You could've been honest with me. If you would've just put down the act, if you would've let me in; let me help you find the answers. Then you would still be alive in my heart right now." Sonic looked at his hand and saw that it was back. "What do you mean by that?" Sonic asked, now fearful about these events. Gazelle simply pointed to a nearby cemetery. Sonic immediately ran over there to see the most shocking sight he had ever seen._

 _(KB: Sideways, Came in this thing like, Sideways, came in this thing like…)_

 _What he saw before him was a lonely grave marker with a single wilted rose in an extremely disclosed part of the cemetery. The gravestone read, "Sonic the Hedgehog. 'Hero' of Mobius. Born: June 23, 1991. Died: June 20th, 2016. Died without a purpose, and without a friend." "What?!" "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sonic shouted, as he wept at the desolate sight with his hands in his face, gushing out the tears. "Gazelle, where are you?!" he cried out. "I didn't mean for all of this to happen. PLEASE, I beg of you! You don't hate me that much, do you?! Please, please still believe in me, please still believe in me… "_

 _(music ends)_

 _DREAM OVER_

"Please still believe in me, please, please still believe in me." Those words, and the way Sonic

was shouting them woke her up early in the morning, 6 o'clock in the morning to be exact. A

little bit earlier than Gazelle was used to. But the pleading cries of her friend woke her up

immediately as she ran at Gazelle speed to Sonic's guest room. "Sonic, Sonic, please wake

up!" Gazelle shouted frantically as she roughly shook the frazzled hedgehog out of his

slumber. Shockingly enough, Sonic woke up with a start. But he was still crying as he just

hugged his friend's legs. Gazelle lifted him up to his feet. "Sonic, look at me, ok?" Gazelle

asked him. Sonic complied to her wishes, but his time, her eyes were the same calm,

welcoming ones he had seen the night before. Sonic's tears stopped when he saw this, but was

even more convinced by what she said next. "It's normal to be scared. It's normal to want to

feel like you have to go through things on your own. I know this because I've seen it in others,

and I've seen it in myself. But it's also normal to need help. It's also normal to ask. I haven't

changed since last night, because I'm not that kind of Gazelle. I'm not that kind of friend either,

in case you haven't known before." Sonic's suspicions and doubts about her friendship were

slowly washing away. He now not only wanted to help her, but was also more than willing to let

 _her_ help _him_ whenever she saw his need. Sonic never saw this type of _true_ devotion and loyalty

in a friend before. He finally recovered composure and just hugged his friend. Gazelle also

hugged him as well, seeing that he was feeling better now. "So, I'm sorry about jumping the gun

by asking you that personal of a…" Gazelle started, but was quickly interrupted by Sonic. "It's fine. I'll admit, it came as a shock, but it

also helped me realize that I need to be honest with you, and not just _pretend_ my confidence on you. Although I am confident in reality

as well. Now, about why I came here, and that _awful nightmare_ …" he shuddered. "It's ok Sonic, how about you tell me about it all after

breakfast?" Gazelle offered. "I wouldn't mind waiting until then" Sonic replied, as the two friends walked hand in hand down the long

hallway to the kitchen area.

 _Well guys, there you finally have it. We now know why Sonic came here in the first place. To give you all a heads-up, KB's song "Sideways" is not owned by me. It's owned by Reach Records. If you're interested in hearing how the whole song goes, go on Youtube and search "KB Sideways lyrics." The reason I portrayed Sonic the way I did in the second dream sequence (the grave scene) was to show Sonic when he's most vulnerable. To see if the hero is ready to realize where he is, and if he's willing to let others help him. So, I know some of you are thinking, "With Sonic gone, what is happening on Mobius now?" We'll get to that and more next time. Also, I'm looking for some OC ideas for a villain for the next chapter. I'll probably tweak it a little bit to fit my story, but I will indeed use the best idea I receive. Goodnight everyone, see you all at the next chapter._


	5. Chapter 5: Mobius Calling

_Alright everybody. So, I originally had this planned for Thursday, but (my apologies for this) I realized I was screwed with other plans for the week. I don't have too much time any other day this week with this because of school, so for now, here's the next chapter._

Love In The Open: Chapter 5: Mobius Calling.

Meanwhile, back on Mobius, Sonic's friend Tails called an emergency meeting up in his house.

"Ok, so I'll bet you all know why we're here." Tails said, addressing a few of his friends, who all

nodded in unison. Among the vast collection of his friends, there was a pink armadillo (Amy)

holding a mallet to her side, a green hawk holding what looked like a next-gen hoverboard (Jet),

a crystal white hedgehog with white gloves on his hand (Silver), a black and red hedgehog

(Shadow), a muscular red echidna with boxing gloves that had spikes on them(Knuckles),

and a purple cat with a pink gem on her forehead (Blaze). "Good" Tails verified, then

motioned to the portal in front of him. "Sonic needed a little bit of a rest, so I sent him to these

universal coordinates." Tails then flashed on a map of the universe on his computer, then

showed everyone with a laser-pointer the coordinates for Zootopia. "Right, it's that place you

went to on _your_ break a couple of days ago." Amy said, nonchalantly. "Why would that faker even _think_

about leaving?" Shadow asked. "Yeah, plus, without Sonic, who's gonna protect our world

now?" Knuckles added to the previous question. "Is there anything we can do?" Silver asked.

Tails desperately attempted to calm everybody as everyone threw one concerned question on

the seemingly never-ending pyramid. That is, until Blaze nearly lit the room on fire and yelled

"ENOUGH! Can't you all see he's trying to tell you all that?!" Blaze reabsorbed her flames.

"Now Tails, would you like to continue?" Blaze politely asked the stressed out fox. "As I was

saying," Tails started again, "Sonic has been struggling with personal issues lately. He's been

having a tough time being motivated lately, even for someone like Sonic, and we all know how

confident he can be. He's been a shadow of himself lately and he just needs some time off. I

don't know for how long, because I'm not Sonic, but I'm sure if he were here, he would have as

much confidence in us defending Mobius as we would in him." Everyone nodded in agreement

again, understanding that the fox needed fewer interruptions and more time to explain. "Now, in

my hand, is a remote control I can use to take me and only one of us with me to see Sonic."

Amy slowly raised her hand, which Tails recognized so he stopped. "Why only one of us?" Amy

asked politely? "When I first built this portal, I discovered that it only had enough power to send

at least two people to a place at a time. I would have more of you come two by two with me, but

I need people staying behind defending Mobius until we come back." Talis replied. Shadow

was the next to raise his hand. "What if faker decides that we came too soon for him?" Shadow

asked, using his personal nickname for his rival. "I used my cloning device to create two

remotes that would each activate a portal to take someone where they would like to go once we

get there." Tails said. "Any more questions?" Tails asked. The white hedgehog named Silver

raised his hand. "How do we decide who gets to go?" Instead of responding verbally this time,

Tails tore up a sheet of paper into 6 small pieces and wrote everyone's name on each piece.

Then, he grabbed a baseball cap with the Mobius Stars baseball team logo on it and put the

pieces in the hat. He then picked a name out of the hat, and showed everybody. The name he

picked, was "Silver." "I guess that means you're coming. Are you ready Silver?" Silver first met

Sonic when he mis-assumed that Sonic was one of his villains, then came to realize that Sonic

was actually trying to help stop the _real_ villain from destroying the world. Since then, Silver has

been a regular companion of Sonic's and the two enjoyed great times together as friends and as

allies. "If this means that I can help my friend find peace, then count me in." Silver spoke

confidently. Tails then activated the portal, and Silver and Tails stepped forward into the realm

of Zootopia. But as they left…

 _At the same time, in Darkahm Asylum…_

A large, muscular fox of an alien race called the Zoroark looked at Mobius from on top of its wall

along with his cousin, a pitch black hedgehog named Memphiles. "So, cousin. Do you believe in me now?" the fox asked the hedgehog.

"To say that I am impressed is an understatement." Memphiles replied. "Impressed, or undeterred?" the fox asked again. Memphiles

ignored him and asked, "But how do you know your plan will work? They're not going to come on a whi…" before Memphiles could finish

the word, he slowly felt his energy being sucked out of his body by his cousin, as if he was pulling it out by his mind. When he finished

absorbing his energy, the fox looked at the lifeless body of his cousin and replied seven words out into the shadows. Seven words of the

very definition of his plans.

"If you build it, they will come."

 _Ok, so I hope that was a great chapter and it answered the question of what was happening on Mobius. The reason that I chose a Pokemon is that a friend of mine pretended we were heroes when we were younger and we needed a good villain. My friend came up with the physical model of the villain being a Zoroark, I came up with the powers of absorbing energy and was mainly inspired by Kai from Kung Fu Panda 3 for the powers. (Zoroark belongs to Pokemon, only my ideas are mine.) However, we won't be seeing my villain again until the epilogue and in my sequel, which is currently titled "The Resistance" Anyhow, I'm not telling you anymore about the sequel until it comes. Next time, Sonic ends up taking Gazelle out on the town, and bumps into Silver and Tails on the way. Also, how would the return of Gazelle's old friend Justin Timberwolf affect Sonic and Gazelle? Find that out and more, next chapter. See you then. :-)_


	6. Chapter 7 (Part One): A Fun Time

_Let me tell you this honestly. School + life + writing + exam = a very complicated week. Still though, I hope you'll like this one though._

Chapter 7 (Part One): A Fun Time.

During breakfast, Sonic indeed told Gazelle about the rough time he had sleeping last night.

Everything from how he got here (which _was_ true) to the part about how he saw his own grave.

(Which was _not_ true, but who says everything is true in dreams?) She listened intently as Sonic

told her everything about the dream, and for the first time, she saw something strange about

him. Not "he's a threat" strange or the old fashioned prejudice strange but more like that "your

friend takes you out for the day only to discover it was a cover up for a surprise party in your

honor" strange. Pleasantly strange. Sonic had felt this similar "strangeness" last night, but now

it was Gazelle's turn to notice. Like Sonic however, she couldn't put a finger (or a hoof in this

case) as to what it was or how it got there. Maybe it was something she saw in him, or the way

he saved her life in the concert. Whatever it was, something told Gazelle either which way that

her new friend was going to be as much a friend to her as she already was to him.

"Ok, these are done. What now?" Gazelle was snapped out of an apparent trance by Sonic,

who evidently brightened up the place. (Not literally of course) he ran at supersonic speed to

take care of the dishes, wax up the floor, got every space in the mansion cleaned out, all in the

split-second Gazelle was tranced. Being the fastest thing alive _definitely_ had its perks. "Oh

wow, nice job there Sonic. You didn't need to do all of that for me." Gazelle said in shock and

amazement.

"Hey, it was nothing. After all, you _did_ help me out of a mental dream-jam." Sonic replied. This

time, instead of answering in a calm way, Gazelle decided to match that clever quip with one of

her own. "Oh really, are you sure that _you_ weren't helping me in any way?" Sonic looked

absolutely dumbfounded with that statement given to him, but then realized what was going on.

"Well hey, you said it yourself. 'It's no trouble.'" Sonic replied, reminding her of what she said

 _before_ they arrived at Gazelle's house the night before. "Ha ha ha, Sonic, I was referring to it

being no trouble for _you_ to stay with _me._ Besides, I have an idea on how to help you find the

answers." "I'm listening" Sonic replied. "Ok, so the idea is… don't worry about it. I know it's

important to you, but if you let worry and stress seep into your mind like that, it will actually

 _hinder_ you instead of help." Sonic then fully comprehended what she was saying. His carefree

and fun attitude was being clouded up by the stress he had experienced by spending an excess

of time worrying about answers that could probably take care of themselves. "I see your point.

So, what about the rest of the day?" Sonic asked. "Well, I might have a few ideas that might

help you unwind and maybe find a little bit of fun." Gazelle said.

 _30 minutes later, at Pheonicia Shopping Center_

Let's turn to Silver and Tails for a second here. The portal machine Tails made had taken the

two to this mall-like area that was mainly populated by birds, but had some other animals

visiting. "So this is Zootopia." Silver said, thinking out loud. "Actually Silver, this is just one of

many precincts of Zootopia. Kind of like how there's 7 continents on earth." Tails reminded him.

Silver simply nodded, taking his time to gaze at the beautiful rainbow-lit city. Silver then flew up

to one of the birds, just to get that amazing feeling of flying with birds. "Well, what do you

want?" a quetzal who passed by Silver asked. "Have you seen a blue hedgehog anywhere?"

Silver replied. Silver was definitely soaking up this moment. Silver always had the telekinetic

powers to make himself fly, but he never got this close to a high-flying bird. "I don't think I've

seen you before hedgehog. I mean you're so white, and pure, and handsome…" the quetzal

replied. "Alright, alright. My name's Silver, what's yours?" Silver asked. "My name is Grace.

And hey, I saw a blue hedgehog run across the mall a few minutes ago with an antelope."

"Got it, thanks." Silver said, but before he

flew off, Grace stopped him with her wing and asked politely, "Is that fox down there your

friend?" pointing and waving at Tails who politely waved back. "Yes, he is." Silver said. "How

about I take both of you there?" Grace asked generously. "Well, if it's no trouble, that'd be

great." Silver said, as Tails propeller-tailed his way up giving a thumbs-up in approvement. The

three finally flew off towards a giant projector showing what appeared to be Sonic and Gazelle

giving a news report on the tv. "What?!" Tails and Silver yelled simultaneously.

 _Inside a weather station…_

Ok, so what I said was partially true, they _were_ giving news reports. MOCK reports. You see, in

the center of the mall was a big educational building called "The Motivation Station." It was a

skyscraper that had resources for younger Zootopians to help them achieve their dreams. Often

on occasions (today being one of them) stars would come in and help motivate this younger

generation. Sonic and Gazelle were the two inspirees today, as they both agreed it would be a

good idea to make a difference in these lives watching. "And now Sonic, back over to you."

Gazelle said, standing behind a green screen, definitely looking _and_ playing the part of a

weathergirl. "Alright Zelly, well that's it for this week's show, but don't worry, you'll catch plenty

of this handsome face and other news next time. See ya." The younger animals were laughing

at Sonic's silliness and were totally soaking up the fact that Zootopia's national hero and their

new hero took the time out of their day just to hang out with them. "Well, I'd give that a 10/10

rating Sonic." Sonic turned around to see Tails and Silver, who were also watching the show

from behind. "Hey guys. How's it going?" Sonic said in happiness. Gazelle then turned to see

Sonic giving high-5's, hugs, and fist-pumps with some of his friends. "Ah, well, this wasn't what I

was expecting." Gazelle said, a little taken aback at the sight. "Oh, well, if you want, we can

leave." Tails said. "Nah, you guys can stay. It's a _pleasant_ surprise for me, even though 'Zelly'

here might need some introductions." Sonic said, giving Gazelle a friendly punch on the arm.

"My name is Silver, and this is Tails. We're Sonic's friends on His World." Silver politely

introduced the two. "Well you two, I'm Gazelle. Welcome to Zootopia." Gazelle introduced.

Sonic and his friends all pulled together into a group huddle, apparently talking about the

situation at hand. "No way? THE Gazelle?" Tails spoke first. Sonic replied with "Yeah, _the_

Gazelle, Tails. Also, I bumped into some other animals too. A big strong buffalo, a couple of

wolf ninjas, a bunny cop, a…" "Whoa whoa whoa, a bunny cop? Did she say her name was

Judy?" Tails asked. "Yeah, why?" Sonic asked, a little perplexed. "She was the first friend I

made in Zootopia." Tails excitedly answered. "Sweet!" Sonic asked, while fist-pumping his

friend. "You can also ask her to help you on your quest Sonic, she's very nice once you get to

know her better." Tails said. Sonic was about to reply, but was interrupted by Silver. "Whoa

whoa whoa… first off, a _bunny_ cop? You'll have to prove your bluff Tails. And second, you lost

me at 'Wolf Ninjas' Sonic." "Tails is right Silver, I've seen her myself. And during the Gazelle

concert someone invited me to, this group of wolf ninjas _nearly_ killed Gazelle." Sonic replied.

"And let me guess, you stopped them?" Tails and Silver said at the same time. Sonic flashed

them a thumbs up to confirm it. "Yep, although my quest isn't over yet, she has definitely been a

huge help to me, she has definitely become my Zootopia bffl. And hey, I even if I found my

purpose right now, I wouldn't mind sticking around just to at least get her interdimensional

Tweeter before I left. A lot of people see her for how beautiful she is, but I see her for how

beautiful she is on the inside. _That_ is beauty to me." To say that the eavesdropping Gazelle was

flattered was an utter understatement. Gazelle asked for nothing in return to help Sonic and

yet, the kindness shown to her, proved more valuable than any sort of million dollar deal she

can make. She just stood there, crying. The three turned around once they heard the joyful

sobs. "What's wrong, did we say something that hurt you?" Sonic asked, with concern on his

face. Gazelle didn't say nothing. She couldn't even speak. She just pulled the blue hedgehog

into an embrace and just whispered, "Thank you, thank you." over and over again. Sonic gently

returned the embrace back, right before he saw Tails tap him on the shoulder. "Hey Sonic,

someone wants to talk to you." Sonic grabbed the phone from Tails to see Judy's name as the

contact. "Hello, Heroes Extarordinare, how may I save you today?" Sonic then put Judy on

speakerphone for everybody to hear. "Hahahaha, Tails told me you were quippy, but I didn't

expect that much quipiness from you." Judy laughed over the phone. "How've you been lately,

and do you have any word on the ninjas?" Sonic asked. "Well, Nick and I've been doing fine,

we both have the night off and thought we'd go bowling. Hey, you can come too if you want."

"You know what, count us in." Sonic replied with a smirk and a thumbs up. "Us?!" Judy asked.

"Yeah, Tails, another Mobian friend of his, and a really special Zootopian friend." Sonic said.

"Wait a minute, what about the wolves?" Silver shouted into the phone. "I'm sorry, who is this?"

Judy asked. "This is Sonic's friend. And I want to know why Sonic had to capture what you

can't, you big fluffy bunny." "Silver!" Sonic ranted as Silver was milking all he had into this jest.

"Well for your information, your friend was so fast, he knocked out all the ninjas for us. Including

the one that escaped last night." "What?!" the foursome responded. Silver continued with his

part lighthearted part serious jesting joke. "So let me get this straight. You get shown up by a

new hero you know next to nothing about, and to top it all off, you let wolfy escape. Bravo.

Well, see you at bowling at… what time bunny bunny?" "Silver!" Sonic said, but before anyone

said another word, Judy said over the speaker. "7. And you better show up with a better

attitude or your name is mud." "It's Silver." Silver ended the joke. "Whatever." Judy said and

hung up the phone. "Ok, dumb jokes aside Silver, and you are gonna apologize at the bowling

alley." Sonic scolded Silver. "If I lose Sonic, if I lose." Silver rebutted. Sonic replied, "Silver, you

can't beat me at bowling." "Not you Sonic, Judy. If I beat the bunny, we're all off the hook here.

I lose, _then_ I apologize. Either way, Tails and I are staying with ZPD to make sure that one wolf

stays in jail." Silver said, flying around the room really fast with confidence in his face. "Alright

Silver, if it's a bet you want…" Sonic said, shaking his friend's hand. "Well Sonic, we have

plenty of time before bowling, so what do you want to do?" Gazelle asked. "Well, first I want to

find a place for my friends to stay." Sonic said. "Judy just texted that Silver and I can stay with

her until the ninja is captured." Tails replied, looking at a message on his phone. "Ok, great.

Looks like we're meeting at Mane Lanes at 7 then." Sonic replied.

 _Timeskip: 7 pm. Mane Lanes._

Mane Lanes. I know, not the best name in the world. But what it lacks for in a cool name, it

makes up for in being the perfect place to be on a weekend. Lots of slick lanes, modern giant

flatscreens showing millions of channels as well as your bowling score, nothing but the best

quality in food and bowling made it the ideal place to be. Sonic and Gazelle arrived at 7 and

sure enough, Judy and Nick were indeed there. "Sonic Sonic, got the same name as Nick."

Nick said, confidently shaking the blur's hand. "Un, nice to meet you too Nick." Sonic replied,

attempting to kindly shrug off Nick's lame attempt at humor. "Ok, ok, it was the best thing I can

come up with." Nick tried defending his statement with. "Wait, is that Gazelle?" Judy remarked.

"Hey Judy, I'm Sonic's 'special Zootopian friend' apparently." Gazelle said, introducing herself to

Judy. "Oh well nice to finally meet you in person Gazelle. Wait. Then who was the jerk on the

phone earlier?" Judy asked, now knowing that the animal on the end of that insulting phone call

wasn't from Sonic's Zootopian friend. "Here he comes now." Sonic said, as all of them looked

back to see Tails and Silver walking into the alley. "So, you're Judy, correct?" Silver asked.

"Yes, that's me. Hey see those pins Whitey?" Judy asked, pointing to the pins. Silver nodded.

"Prepare to go down like them sweetheart." All of them "ooooooh"ed at that sly statement.

Silver knew he needed to be more careful now. There could be more to this bunny than what

met the eye. "Alright, so are we ready to bowl now and pick teams?" Gazelle asked, trying to

find a right sized ball from the ball rack. As she turned around, she literally turned and bumped

into a grey timberwolf wearing a white button-down shirt with a green t-shirt underneath. "You

bet I'm ready 'Zelle." the wolf replied. He was staring into Gazelle with dark penetrating blue

eyes that can sever steel beams and smiled at her like the bright wolf he appeared to be.

Gazelle then only had two words to say. "Hello Justin."

 _Say WHAT?! CLIFFHANGER BABY! Justin's finally on the scene now. Are they going to resume their romance where they left off, or just remain friends? Is Silver going to win his bet with Judy or will it turn out to be a hustle for that sweetheart. Speaking of, you may have noticed Sonic becoming quite friendly with Gazelle lately. But with Justin's sudden return, Sonic "Can't Stop the Feeling" of jealousy. (Justin Timberlake owns "Can't Stop the Feeling", not me.) What's going on with our blue hero? Will he ever find the answers to what he's finding? To find out, you'll have to wait until the next chapter. See you then._


	7. Chapter 7 (Part 2): LITO

Love In The Open

Chapter 7 (Part 2): #LITO

 _Can't Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake starts to play._

 _I got this feeling, inside my bones, that comes electric wavy when I turn it on. All through my city,_

 _All through my home…_

As the song continued to play, Gazelle stared in pleasant confusion. She hadn't seen Justin for

such a long time, the last time she heard of him, he was in a gang and was acting rather dark

for his usual self. But when she looked into his eyes, the handsome and fun-loving complexion

had been restored, as well as his youth and vigor. "Never thought you'd see me here, did you?"

Justin said in that charming charismatic voice of his. "No, not in a really long time. How did you

know I was here? What are you doing in Zootopia?" Gazelle asked with excitement animating

from her vocal _and_ body tone. "Well, I was hoping that, you and I can actually discuss this over

dinner at your place. After bowling of course." Justin asked. While Justin's natural green eyes

were laser-focused on Gazelle, another pair of more metaphoric green eyes were staring at the

pair from a distance. It wasn't that Sonic wasn't happy that the two hadn't reunited, in fact,

Sonic couldn't be any happier for her. It's just that Sonic had also had a weird feeling inside his

bones, but it was more like miniature acupuncture needles stinging him than that electric wavy

feeling Justin had. It was weird of Sonic thinking this way about anyone, and yet, he still

couldn't explain the feelings he had. The weird dream he had last night, the way Sonic seemed

to naturally wow Gazelle with his bffl speech, and the way he couldn't stop thinking about her as

a beautiful friend, both inside and out. He was here on a mission to find purpose, and so far,

her advice seemed to work. But why was Sonic wanting to be with her more? To be in her

presence more? To get to know her better than before? And why did it seem that Justin would

only get in the way? "Are you ready Sonic?"

 _Record scratch effect, song ends._

Sonic's thoughts were interrupted by Gazelle staring at him, either to make sure he was ok, or to

make sure she wasn't seeing a ghost. "Uh yeah, I'm ready. So who's this guy, er I mean, who

are the captains?" Sonic bumbled out embarrassed.

He face-slapped himself for the awkward intro right

before Justin gripped his hand and shook it. "Hey,

you're that hedgehog I heard about. Name's Justin, Justin Timberwolf. Hey, first off, I just

wanna say thank you so much for being so kind to my pal here. I couldn't even _think_ of

imagining what she went through after I left her like that." "The captains, Justin?" Gazelle

reminded her silver friend. "Oh yeah right right right. So, I figured you and 'Zelle want to be

captains, is that cool with you?" "I didn't really have any preference there, but sure." Sonic

replied, with a signature thumbs up and a handshake to Justin, which Justin accepted. "May the

best team win." Sonic capped that conversation off with.

 _Timeskip: About a minute or two later_

Bowling shoes and all, everyone was finally picked for the match. The teams were like so.

Team Gazelle: Gazelle, Justin, Tails, Nick.

Team Sonic: Sonic, Silver, Judy.

Sonic had Judy and Silver on the same team for two reasons. One, to make sure Silver

wouldn't get too dirty competing against Judy and he also had a more ulterior motive for his

second reason. Five days before Silver and Tails went to visit, Silver was going through some

tough times with his friend Blaze the Cat. The two were already great friends, but when Silver

asked if they could be something more, Blaze said she didn't want to, but would always be there

for her friend no matter what happened. Although Blaze didn't say it in a mean way, it still hurt

Silver in some way, and Sonic saw some people become shells of themselves because of such

things. From what Tails told him about Judy, Sonic probably guessed that the two might get

along with each other better than he thought. He hoped though he didn't have to intervene too

much.

 _#LITO by Press Play plays_

 _I got a story, I got a story that I got to tell. You only live once, so tonight I'm gonna live it well…_

Through the first five frames, everyone seemed to be bowling quite well. Although the two main

Matchups were Sonic vs. Justin and Silver vs. Judy. Silver didn't want to hold back on his

bowling, and although he had telekinesis, he didn't want to cheat, especially with the two cops in

the game. Since Silver was already an excellent bowler, he used the time mainly to reflect on a

few things. The main thing he focused on was that phone call with Judy. Silver didn't mean

anything by the jestful way he joked with her, in fact, Judy did seem like a nice rabbit deep

down. But she seemed to be bowling with a vengeance tonight as she bowled down one

dominant set after another. " _Maybe I should just apologize anyway. I mean, it wasn't like I was_

' _Trying' to hurt her, but if that's what I did. Wait a minute, I have a better idea…_ " Silver's mind

was processing a thought it never had before. On his fifth frame, he bowled the ball, tripped,

resulting in the ball spinning hitting the two back right pins. Second set, he aimed left as to go

for the middle, but he provided a small enough amount of telekinesis to have the ball go slightly

to the right without anyone noticing the telekinesis. "Well, looks like I'm not doing my best

today." Silver sighed, as he went back to the bench. "Oh yeah Rusty, I see my pins go down

and think of you." Judy hollered from the alley where she bowled next.

 _Yes, sing it out, sing it out, let the music come to life, come to life, come to liiiiiiife… This is the_

 _time, to lo-o-ove, this is the time, to daaaaance, this is your life, your cha-a-a-a-a-a-a-nce to_

 _Love In The Open, Love In The Open._

 _Timeskip to 9th frame._

Justin and Sonic were bowling like two boxers in a ring, and both were delivering knockout

punches, er I mean, strikes. Both Justin and Sonic were on pace for a perfect game, as was

Gazelle. Silver however continued to "lose" by having _some_ good shots, but then purposely

miss the next few after that. He thought that by perhaps losing a bit, Silver could show her that

he wasn't as much of a hotshot jerk she thought she was. It worked, in a way. Although Judy

was glad about her bowling game, the fact that Silver wasn't performing his best bothered her

somewhat. As if someone or something weighed heavy on his mind. She wanted to get back at

Silver, but she didn't want to take advantage of someone else's feelings by tearing them down.

Then she came to the conclusion that maybe _his_ feelings were hurt. But did _she_ hurt them, or

did something else happen to cause Silver to play and act this way?

She decided that the best thing to do would be to ask him after the game.

 _Instrumental...Sing it Out, Sing it Out, let the music come to life come to life, sing it out, let the_

 _music come to life come to life…_

 _Timeskip: Final Frame_

Sonic and Justin each bowled strikes, finishing their perfect games. The two went up,

chest-bumped and high-5'ed each other as a sign of good sportsmanship. Gazelle just laughed

at the funny boyish antics as she rolled her ball down the alley, and also landed a perfect strike

sealing her perfect game. The three then joined together in a victory celebration jumping for

joy. Then the final scores were tallied.

Team Gazelle;

Justin: 300

Gazelle: 300

Nick: 250

Tails: 240

Total: 1,090.

Sonic bowled a perfect game, but since he was a member short, team Gazelle obviously sealed

the victory. The only other matchup to keep an eye on was Judy vs. Silver. For Silver, the last

bowler of the day, he didn't

care about bets anymore, he just wanted to do what was right, even if it meant self-humiliation.

So he bowled his ball and

believe it or not, got a strike. Silver stared at the pins dumbstruck. That wasn't supposed to

happen, and Silver expected the trash-talk and the fur to be flying from the bunny. "Whoo hoo,

way to go Silver. Hey, get those next ones down Silvy." To say that Silver was surprised by what

Judy said was a huge understatement. He thought Judy was going to shoot him down again.

He would've been fine with that, as long as the two made up afterwards. He wound up the ball

again, and bowled another strike. Now he was a few points behind Judy, and this is where he

was expecting her to get arrogant.

"Alright Silver, let's do it. One more strike, one more strike, one more strike…" Silver was _really_

confused this time. When the game began, Judy was starting to tear him down, but now, she

was leading everybody to cheer him on for the final frame. "One more strike, one more strike,

one more strike…" was now being chanted by everyone in the lane. Silver cautiously realized

that this might be a trick. Silver seen Sonic use this tactic against Shadow once when they

were playing a video game. Lifting Shadow's morale just enough to encourage him to be good,

but when Shadow lost, he went back to trash-talking against the black hedgehog. Sonic and

Shadow used that as part of their friendly rivalry, but Silver didn't know Judy that well, so he held

his breath, rolled the ball, and hoped for the best.

 _Music stops._

The ball rolled with a streak towards the pins and this time, the ball knocked down all of the

pins… except the one on the back left corner. Silver held his head down as he took a brief

glance at the scoreboard.

Team Gazelle;

Justin: 300

Gazelle: 300

Nick: 250

Tails: 240

Total: 1,090.

Team Sonic;

Sonic: 300

Judy: 168

Silver: 167

Total: 635

Silver hung his head low, realizing that it was time to apologize, but he stopped when he noticed

Judy kneeling down next to him. "I just wanted to say, 'great game.' You really did great out

there." Judy said softly. "Thanks." Silver replied. "Look Judy, I'm really sorry about the way I

was picking on you today." Silver apologized sincerely. "It's fine Silver. I kind of owe you an

apology too," Silver's mental train had to rapidly screech on the brakes. Judy was apologizing

to him?! What did _she_ do wrong? "You know, for exploding and throwing a tantrum like that on

the phone." Judy continued. "Oh yeah. Well Judy, I'll see you at your place." Silver said, but

just as he was about to leave, Judy grabbed his arm once again. "Look, I knew you were trying

to lose on purpose. Why did you do that?" Judy's question was something Silver was

expecting, so he told her the truth. "You want the truth, well here it is. I felt bad for what I did,

and when I saw you play, there was some kind of anger inside you. I needed to make things

right, but with the way you were acting, I didn't want to see you lose and then be upset."

Silver saw the tears forming in the rabbit's eyes as she was trying to process it all.

Was Silver implying that _she_ was the reason he decided to lose? "I wanted to prove to you that

I'm more than the jerk you perceive me to be. I was afraid of you Judy, but

regardless of what happens to me, regardless of if you forgive me or not, I will do my best to

make things right." As Silver finished that, Silver then heard his voice on what he thought was a

recorder shaped like a carrot.

" _I was afraid of you Judy, but I will do my best to make things right."_ " _I was afraid of you Judy,_

 _but I will do my best to make things right."_ When the recording stopped, she was sobbing,

making Silver think he went too far on being honest, but was interrupted again by Judy, who still

had to recover from her tears. "Well, I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I didn't know that I was

such of a monster."

"Judy, that's not what I…" Silver started, but was interrupted by Judy again.

"Silver, wait a minute. I know what you're going to say. That I never did anything wrong and that you're sorry. But pleases hear me

out for _just_ a second."

Silver complied as the teary-eyed bunny continued.

When I was on the phone with you, I thought that you were really meaning to insult me. That you were actually trying to tear me

down. I was _so_ angry at what you said, that I literally assumed you were this arrogant jerk who thought about nothing but himself.

You were more than willing to put your reputation, your life, and your will on the line, just to help me see who you really are."

Silver smiled at that statement, but then had a sad frown after he heard what she said next.

"You also helped me see something else. _I_ am the jerk. _I_ was the one that you feared. I was the one that believed in a lie, without

truly getting to know who you are."

Judy paused again to make sure that Silver fully understood the truth, but also to figure out how to best word the truth as her sobbing

continued from the weight of her guilt that was bearing upon her. "So if you

want me to leave, if you never want to see me again, then that'll be fine. And in case you were wondering, everything, _everything_ Sonic

said you thought about me, everything you said about me, you were right all along. Whatever you want to do to me, do it now. I don't

deserve mercy Silver. Because, because..." she paused as the tears and crying

started again. "Because you don't deserve a friend like me."

 _Brief Pause_

" _Because you don't deserve a friend like me_." This time, it was Silver, who was recording Judy's

reaction on his phone. "Judy, I didn't come to make myself feel good or to make you feel bad. I came to make things right. You're the

jerk, I'm the jerk, it doesn't even matter. I wasn't even expecting what I saw tonight. But just simply you admitting what you've done

and how've you encouraged me tonight. It made me realize that I was wrong about you. About everything."

Judy was slowly starting to wipe the tears from her face as her face slowly began to brighten up again. "You have proven to be strong,

kind, and you have a great heart. I just wish that we were friends right now just so I can see you happy again."

Silver then looked at Judy to see not tears of sadness, but tears of joy and a smile of happiness spread across her face.

The two finally embraced, no longer feeling weights of guilt, but even stronger bonds. Bonds of _true_ friendship.

"Yes, yes, I would _love_ to be friends with you. You won't regret this Silver." Judy said, wiping away her tears. She saluted

at Silver to affirm that his friend she will stay, and his _best_ friend she'll always be.

"I know, that's why I asked." he said, as the two walked hand-in-hand towards Nick's car where Nick and Tails were patiently waiting

for them.

 _Sorry it's been a while, but I was doing a test and also celebrating a birthday this week as well. Had this idea a week ago, but had to wait until now to actually get this one down. So anyhow, I do not own "Can't Stop the Feeling" (which belongs to Justin Timberlake) or #LITO (which belongs to Press Play and Dream Label Group.) Send me a review if you know what the acronym LITO in the song meant. (Hint: Search #LITO press play on Youtube to watch the video.) (Double hint: Read the title of my FanFic again.) So next time, we're going to see how Justin plays into Sonic's story and also find out why he has returned. Also, Sonic has been through a lot mentally, so he has to turn to someone new for help. Who is this new person and does he/she actually help? Find out in the next chapter. Send me a review and see you then._

 _Also, kinda thought I'd update this chapter a little bit because some of you may have been wondering, "Wait a minute, what else was going through Judy's mind between that call and the bowling game?" Well, that's all figured out now. It's also a fun way to take advantage of both Judy's emotional side and her amazing dedication to make sure that the right thing is done. Really looking forward to seeing where Judy and Silver will be from here._

 _Anyhow, shout out to Chimichangar for inspiring the story updates and also another shout-out to my newest follower wise70._

 _Anyhow, hope to see you all soon in the next chapter of Love In The Open._


	8. Chapter 8: Heartstrung

_Hey everyone. Thanks so much for getting this story up to 1,626 views so far, and I can promise you all that this is just the beginning of this adventure. Let's continue, shall we?_

Love In The Open, Chapter 8: Hearts of Joy, Hearts of Burden

Silver and Judy did finally hop into the police car which Nick was getting ready to drive off in, but

first, obviously, being an officer now, he reminded everybody to buckle up. "Hey Soari, call

Sonic for me, ok?" Nick said this to a bluetooth monitor that the ZPD hooked up just in case

either Judy or Nick needed to make a call to anyone. Judy and Silver sat in the backseat side

by side while Tails had shotgun this time around. Nick had some kind of spider-sense (or in this

case, a fox sense) that Silver and Judy were going to be best friends, perhaps maybe more.

Unlike Sonic, who was fighting off feelings of jealousy with Justin, Nick was actually fine with

Silver becoming better friends with Judy. Although Nick loved Judy's friendship and still wanted

an increased role in her life, he was glad to know that there was also somebody else Judy could

turn to. If things worked well between Silver and Judy, great, it'd be a great story to tell later, if

not, that's fine too. A white hedgehog wasn't going to change Nick's opinion on Judy. "Sorry sir,

there is no one named 'Sonic' on your contacts. Did you mean, 'Sonny's Pizza and Barista?'"

Nick face-slapped himself for forgetting to ask Tails for Sonic's number, while Judy and Silver

were trying to stifle chuckles at what the Bluetooth system thought was a pizza place. "Hang on

Nick, I'll call him on my phone and put it on speaker." Tails offered, which Nick nodded to in

agreement. "Uh yeah, hello, I'd like to speak to Sonic please?" Judy mocked a phone

conversation in the back-seat, while Silver also played along by holding his hand up to his ear.

"I'm sorry, this is Sonny from 'Sonny's Pizza and Barista', anything I can pizza up for you

today?" The two were definitely bonding over this mishap with the Bluetooth, but this wouldn't

be the only thing they would bond over, as we would later see. Tails finally set the phone on

speaker as the laughing briefly subsided as Nick started the conversation.

Nick: "Hey Sonic."

Sonic: "Nick, is that you?"

Nick: "Yeah man, are you finally home?"

Sonic: "Yeah, although I'm pretty tired and Gazelle and Justin are kind of keeping me awake playing Guitar Zootopian Hero VI, and from what I hear in there, they're definitely enjoying themselves."

Nick: "Yeah, anyhow, reason I called was to see if you wanted to hang out with us tomorrow at Cash Cow for some breakfast before we went to work and also to check in. I can imagine you're tired after bowling tonight."

Sonic: "Yeah, it _was_ pretty late. I'll try to get some sleep and see you tomorrow. Alright?"

Nick: "Alright, sounds good."

 _End of Conversation_

Sonic was having a tough time settling some issues inside his head. He _was_ happy that the two

have reunited, but he felt somewhat, excluded (to use the best word) from the situation. Sonic

was kind of wanting to just run from it all, but he knew he couldn't without finding the answers he

was seeking. Gazelle was definitely a very beautiful friend, he couldn't deny that fact, but

something to Sonic seemed off about Justin. It was only a couple of nights ago that she told

him that when Justin broke her heart, he didn't deserve it; only now, the two were playing,

jamming, and chatting as if the debacle never even happened. Was it mercy that drove Gazelle

to do this, was it that Justin was _that_ good now? He didn't know, but he decided since that this

issue now weighed most in his mind, he would first settle this first, then solve the next issue,

which was rediscovering his purpose as a hero. He determined that tomorrow he would ask

Gazelle about Justin, but first he… "Who was that Sonic?" Gazelle stepped out of the game

room for a bit, snapping Sonic out of his self-imposed trance. "Oh, that was Nick, he was

wanting to see if I'd have breakfast with him tomorrow down at someplace called Cash Cow."

Sonic replied. "Hey 'Zelle, isn't that the place with the pbj breakfast roll?" Justin called out from

the game room. "Yes Justin it is." Gazelle yelled back. "Well, how about I'll take you two out

over there, since Sonic's gonna be over there with Nick." Justin suggested. "Hey yeah, great

idea Justin" Gazelle called out, then turned to Sonic to offer him something. "Hey Sonic, you

wanna play a round?" Sonic looked at his watch, which read 11:45 pm, then looked at Gazelle

to see if she was serious or not. "Oh no, I won't bother you guys. You haven't seen each other

in a while, so…" "Sonic, you won't be a bother at all." Gazelle kindly said to him. Truthfully, she

knew something was going on with Sonic. She always knew. The reason she didn't say this

outright to Sonic was twofold. She didn't want Justin to feel mad about her and Sonic, and her

main priority was getting things set right with Justin. Sonic was still a priority to her, but the

question in her mind was how much of a priority should he be? "Come on 'Zelle, I already

selected a song." Justin hollered from the back. Gazelle turned and told Justin to wait for

another second. "Come on Sonic, what do you say?" Gazelle asked. Sonic could tell she was

really wanting to hang out with Justin, so he obliged and walked into the immense gaming room.

Gazelle handed Sonic a video game guitar and offered to teach Sonic how to use it, but Sonic

declined, already having played a similar video game back in His World. "Alright Sonic, time for

some rock and roll magic. You ready ombre?" Justin said doing his best KISS impression. "You

bet. Crank up the sparks and let's light these 'works." Sonic said as the two started the game.

 _Money Run Low by The Score starts_

 _Tongue tied  
_

 _Dreams die  
_

 _We all lose our way_

 _We have fears  
_

 _Shed tears  
_

 _And we carry our mistakes  
_

 _It's funny when you're done and out they don't come around  
_

 _They don't come around, oh_

 _I've been working my hands down to the bones  
_

 _Where you gonna be when the money run low?  
_

 _Lovers and friends  
_

 _Come and they go  
_

 _Where you gonna be when the money, the money run low?  
_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh  
_

 _Where you gonna be when the money run low?_

 _I've been high  
_

 _The good life  
_

 _It's good until it fades  
_

 _But when you come down  
_

 _The cold ground's gonna put you in your place  
_

 _Gotta count my blessings  
_

 _Try to pay it forward  
_

 _Somehow always end up going back  
_

 _Always learning everything the hard way_

 _I've been working my hands down to the bones  
_

 _Where you gonna be when the money run low?  
_

 _Lovers and friends  
_

 _Come and they go  
_

 _Where you gonna be when the money, the money run low?  
_

 _The money run low  
_

 _The money run low  
_

 _The money run low, oh, oh, oh yeah  
_

 _The money run low  
_

 _The money run low  
_

 _The money run low, oh, oh_

 _I've been working my hands down to the bones  
_

 _Where you gonna be when the money run low?  
_

 _Lovers and friends  
_

 _Come and they go  
_

 _Where you gonna be when the money, the money run low?  
_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh  
_

 _Where you gonna be when the money run low?_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh  
_

 _Where you gonna be when the money run low?_

 _Song ends._

Sonic, Justin and Gazelle all celebrated their perfect score, something that has run in them

since the bowling match earlier that night. But however, even Justin and Gazelle were worn out

and were ready for bed. "So Sonic, what time did Nick want you over there?" Gazelle asked.

Sonic had to admit, he did have fun, even with Justin in the way, Sonic had a great time with

Gazelle. Even though he still was not too sure about Justin, the blur felt a lot calmer about him

Now. "He wanted me over there at 7." Sonic replied. "Alright, 7 it is. Hey, thank you for

everything tonight. In fact, I might have found the highlight of my day already." Gazelle said, a

bit more relaxed. "I know, and I'm happy for you that Justin came back" Gazelle looked at him

somewhat perplexed. "Sonic?" "I mean, from what you told me, I didn't know he was gonna

come back" "Sonic?" "I could see why you really liked hanging out with him today." "SONIC!"

Gazelle was trying to interrupt Sonic somewhat so she could tell him what was _actually_ on her

mind. "Yes?" Sonic finally responded after coming back to earth (or back to Zootopia in this

case.) "Yes, I enjoyed my time with Justin, and I'm glad he has returned. But that's not what

made my day today. What really made my day today was when you were willing to take me to

the mall, just to make me feel good, got me out of the famous life to have some fun, and what

you said to your friends about me. Sonic, I felt like the happiest animal alive. Thank you so

much my friend. Thank you." Sonic looked at her in awe again. Awe of how she always

seemed to never forget about others, no matter who they are. Sonic felt just as impacted by

Gazelle's kind words as he hoped his impacted her. Maybe even more. He offered a friendly

peck on her hand, thanked her, and then went over to bed, optimistically dreaming about what

would happen the next day.

 _Well guys, sorry this took a while. I haven't been feeling 100% and I still feel the need to keep this going. I know you're thinking, "Dude, where's this other person that's gonna help Sonic?" Don't worry, they'll come. Most likely in the next chapter. Anyhow, this chapter was originally supposed to be more darker for Sonic, but I had tech issues that deleted that, so I decided to start from scratch. So, what's going to be happening at Cash Cow? Find that out and more next chapter. See you then._


	9. 9 Hopps, Hedgehogs and Hamburgers

_Alright houndies. First off, sorry about the confusion. There is only ONE Hopps in this chapter. Judy Hopps._

 _The Fanfic chapter bar did not_ _have enough room to fit my whole chapter title in there._

 _Sorry about any confusion._

 _I'm a bit bored, but still having fun. Why? Well, you'll see._

Love In The Open (Flipside Chapter)

Chapter 9: Hopps, Hedgehogs, and Hamburgers

Judy sat at a coffee stand with Nick, Silver and Tails as she was waiting for the other three

guests to arrive. Judy did a lot of thinking about her new friend Silver last night. Her thoughts

were mainly about what she could take Silver out to do next. Nick suggested this as an

icebreaker for the two, and as a way for him to personally get to know Sonic better. Her crystal

white friend was sitting down looking at a breakfast menu while taking occasional glances at the

grey-furred rabbit sitting beside him. Judy didn't exactly know how to start this off, so she just

took a deep breath and slowly started a conversation. "Hey Silver. Get a good sleep last

night?" "Yes, I definitely did. But I'm a little less interested in that right now to be honest."

Silver's reply didn't exactly shock her, because she kind of saw this coming. "Let's talk about

you." "Ok, what do you want to know?" Judy asked, anticipating some kind of answer. The first

thing Silver had on his mind was " _Hmmm, let's see, why would a pretty bunny like you want to_

 _become a cop?_ " but he didn't want to make things too awkward, so he asked something else

instead. "I know you know Nick, Tails, and now Sonic and Gazelle; but what made you decide

to become friends with me to begin with?" That seemed like a more appropriate question from

Silver's point of view, because if he was going to be friends with anyone, he might as well figure

out why they would want to be friends with him. "That's a silly question Silver. Because you

asked me to." Judy replied in a matter-of-fact way. "Well, let me put it another way then. You

were pretty ticked off when I did all that stuff to you, and I thought you were gonna go berserk at

the bowling alley, not come for peace. I guess what I'm asking is, what made you change your

mind about me?" Judy thought about that question for a bit. Not _what_ to answer, because she

already knew what to say, but _how_ to say it. Until she finally came up with an answer. " _You_

changed how I saw you. I thought you were a jerk with no cares but your own but when you

proved me wrong, I saw something shining in here." Judy said, putting a hand on Silver's heart.

Silver looked at Judy's hand, then held it close to her heart. "So Silver, what do you like doing in

your spare time?" Judy asked. "Well, I do enjoy hanging out with friends. I'm usually just along

for the ride with them." Silver replied. Judy was curious to see how much her new friend would

be willing to reveal on their first day hanging out. "Oh, so, do you have any special friends?"

"Yes, and I'm looking at them right now." Silver responded, looking at Nick, Tails and Judy.

"Awe. Do you have a girlfriend?" Judy asked, optimistically hoping that Silver would say he

loved her, but was also prepared in case he said no. Instead, Silver's response was, "That is a

bit more of a personal question for me, and it's not that I don't want to answer. It's just

something I don't want to bring up right now." Silver, was somewhat shocked Judy would be

asking this question, especially after breaking up with Blaze recently. It wasn't that Silver didn't

like Judy. He was glad that they were friends now. But if he wanted to do something like that

again, he would rather get to know Judy first and _then_ consider dating her rather than plunging

head-first into something and then causing more heartache. "I understand. So, what do you

think we're gonna do about finding those wolves?" Judy asked. As if on cue, howling noises

sounded out from behind them. Judy and Silver quickly turned around to see Sonic, Nick,

Justin, Tails and Gazelle join in on the howling behind them. The quintet now laughed as they

were

celebrating their successful prank. "Ok guys, knock it off. As I was saying Judy, we might need

to see who was…" "Did you see the looks on their faces? That had to be the most _priceless_

expression I have ever seen." That voice, obviously Nick's, was later accompanied by Gazelle's

laughter. "Nick, that was really priceless. I hope you got the picture." Gazelle asked. Silver

used this to try and get back on course. "As I was saying, we should probably figure out what

other crimes these guys have committed to see if there's any pattern in their…" "I did way better

than that Gazelle. _I CAUGHT THE WHOLE THING ON VIDEO AND JUST SENT IT TO_

 _ZOOTUBE!_ " Sonic's burst was accompanied by a group "Ohhhhhhhhhhhh" by the fivesome.

Silver was getting very upset at what Sonic saw as a joke.

"Enough Sonic, can't you see we're busy here?!" "Busy doing what, getting us all a million hits in

a single second?" Justin chanted. "Whoooooooooooooa!" the quartet chanted. Silver

facepalmed himself as the five "kids" went away and ordered their food. "Sometimes I don't

know what to do with them." Silver said, apparently very stressed out about the situation. "Hey,

if you're stressed out about them, let's talk about this later." Judy suggested. "Judy, do you

mind following me outside?" Silver asked. "Sure Silver, but what about our food orders?" she

asked. Silver saw the five ordering their food and then almost forgot about it. "You know what,

we can order first and then head out." Silver asked, but Judy wasn't having it. "No no no, it's

fine. They have a patio with tables and umbrellas. We can just order there." Judy saw

something in Silver she couldn't put her paw on, but did explain the feeling she had to Nick last

night while Silver slept on his guest bed. Nick told her that he was happy to find someone she

enjoyed, but also told her he would always be there when needed. Judy wished there were

more foxes like Nick or more hedgehogs like Silver. "Alright Judy, we'll talk over there." Silver

finally agreed to do so. Anything to talk to his new friend in silence.

 _15 minutes later…_

Silver finally settled on some noodles and a salad and Judy ordered herself a vegetable soup.

Then they saw the fivesome, who apparently dubbed themselves "Furry Force 5", chewing on

hamburgers, fries, slurping milkshakes (with the exception of Gazelle, who was sipping a

sweet-iced tea.), and talking to a new eagle friend they made. "You know Mobians are

omnivores, right?" Silver asked Judy, Judy was looking into the pleasant brown eyes of his new

friend, although she wasn't looking as much as she was captivated by that sense of justice.

Judy didn't have very many friends in Zootopia, so she considered it an honor to have Nick,

Justin, Gazelle, and the three Mobians Silver, Tails, and Sonic as friends.

Judy wanted to spend some extra time with her new friend so that she could get to know him

better, but also to see what feeling has gone into her heart about him. "Oh yes, I've seen Tails

and Sonic before, I know that. So Silver, I was thinking if we weren't too busy with this case, I

could show you some places that are special to me. Like, wouldn't show anyone else but you

and maybe Nick type special." Silver was a little bit surprised at the request, but took it as a

kind gesture from the rabbit anyway. "Sure, if we're not too busy that is. I'd love to get to know

you better Judy." Judy was about to reply to Silver when Nick rushed out to the patio to alert the

pair about something. "Bogo wants us all at his office right now." Nick said rather quickly, as he

had his cop uniform in a suitcase all ready to go. Silver and Judy got up to leave when Judy

noticed the golden eagle next to Nick. "Wait Nick, who's the eagle?" Nick then stopped and

showed her to the golden eagle. "Judy, Silver; this is KZ, he's a S.W.E.A.T. officer."

"S.W.E.A.T.?" Silver asked. "Stands for Sky, Water, Earth, Air, and Tree Surveillance. We take

on the crimes the ZPD need a little more help with." his thick African-Southern accent carried

out clearly as the three shook hands, then all four ran out to the police car, not wanting to be

late to _any_ call.

 _Obviously it's night, I wasn't feeling 100%, and I was bored at night, and one of the biggest problems I've been having is how to be able to tell you what's going on in whose perspective if two events run side-by-side. That's where Flipside Chapters come in. They tell you an event going through one set of eyes, then on the "flipside" if you will, they tell the same event from someone else's perspective. Anyhow, next time, we go to the flipside of this chapter and see these events through the eyes of Gazelle, Sonic, Tails, Nick and Justin. Send me a review if you know what artists I spoofed when using "Furry Force Five" and also in creating KZ. (Hint, their song, BZRK, will be used in the next chapter. In fact, for legal purposes, night as well tell you now. I spoofed them from Family Force 5 and KB. Writers and owners of the song BZRK. BZRK doesn't belong to me.) Anyhow, see you on the flipside._


	10. AN:

_What's up guys, I have an announcement for you. Apparently I've been (unknowingly) been illegally formatting the music in my story here. This is my first time using this site, and I don't want to take any chances by getting into trouble. Here's what I actually read about that. After reading this, I kind of realized I'm not going to be able to use any more songs in this story. So BZRK may/may not be used in my next chapter after all. (Remember, it's owned by Family Force 5 and KB, not me.) Anyhow, I'll still be able to make the flipside chapter fun though, I'll promise you that._

 _LoveandEdify out._

 _Actions not allowed:_

" _Multiple entries of the same material. There can only be one copy of any unique story on the entire site. No exceptions._

 _Rewriting names of characters/locations of one story in order to upload to multiple categories._

 _Copying from a previously published work (including musical lyrics) not in the public domain"_


	11. Chapter 9 (Flipside Conclusion) GoBeserk

_Alright guys, I have some announcements for you all. First off, I'm really enjoying this beautiful fall weather going on right now storms and all, that it's really been amazing to soak it in. Second, I found a way to use songs in the fanfic_ without _getting in trouble. (All songs, unoriginal puns, and quotes in this fanfic serve as educational and entertainment purposes only.) Third, I'll tell you guys after this chapter, so, see you on the flipside…_

Love In The Open; Chapter 9 (Flipside Conclusion): Going Berserk

Sonic was sitting in the rifle seat of Gazelle's limo right behind Gazelle. (In case you were

wondering, the "rifle" seat is the seat right behind the shotgun/passenger seat of the car.) Nick

called earlier right before they left to say that his car broke down so he had to get Silver and

Judy on the nearest bus to the Cash Cow Restaurant. "So, why is Nick not on the bus with

them?" Justin asked, who was sitting in the seat next to Sonic. Gazelle was sitting in shotgun

(obviously) and her head was turned towards the window. Because Gazelle's headrest blocked

Justin's and Sonic's view of her, they naturally assumed she was gazing at the city. If there was

an extra seat closer to shotgun in the limo, at least one of them would see that they are wrong.

Gazelle's head was actually lowered down in thought and confusion. She was very fortunate to

and blessed with what she had, and she wanted to make sure that animals who had less were

shown love, compassion, and confidence every time they thought of her. She had so much, and

yet, she hardly had too many actual friends. Oh sure, she had those followers on Tweeter or

Zootube that liked a comment or music video, but to her, it didn't feel the same as actually being

shown that kindness that she does her best to show to others. "Well, Nick had to borrow the car

from his grandma because the police car had to be in the shop." Gazelle overheard Sonic say,

apparently in a conversation with Justin she wasn't aware of, nor did she care. She turned her

ear towards the backseat where she heard the two talk about something else. "So, what's this

'PBJ breakfast roll' you were talking about?" Sonic was asking Justin. "Oh well, it's kind of like

a breakfast burrito, but it comes with crunchy peanut butter and jelly inside, so they give away

the extra large milk for free." Justin replied. "Well, what chef came up with that idea?" Sonic

asked his new wolf friend. "Actually it was 'Zelle here who came up with the idea." Justin said,

pointing at the seat in front of Sonic. "One of the things we did on our first date was make like

we were chefs in Gazelle's house and one of her ideas was a peanut butter jelly sandwich in a

burrito shell." "You don't say?" Sonic replied back. "Yeah. You know Sonic, the Cash Cow

actually accepted the recipe after we gave it to them that night, and they also…" "Gave the

proceeds to the Horns Protection Fund for the Needy yes I know Justin, I own that charity and

so did my father." Gazelle interrupted. She didn't mean to snap at either one of them, but a lot

was going on in her mind lately. She was lucky that the two were continuing their conversation

unphased, because she couldn't bear to lose her two closest friends. Hopefully the time at

Cash Cow would ease her mind.

 _Timeskip, about 20 minutes later._

There was an extra seat in between Sonic and Justin that Nick fitted pretty comfortably in. Not

a tight squeeze but not a loose fish in terms of seating. "So, you borrowed your grandma's car

and then it broke down?" Justin asked Nick. "Well, yes and no." Nick now turned to Sonic to

see a confused look on his face. "You see, your pal Tails was going to stay behind and try to fix

the car, but I didn't want him touching up anything on it being borrowed and all. So, I,

maybe…accidentally put the wrong type of fluid in the car." "What?!" A very perplexed Sonic

and Justin shouted simultaneously. "Yeah, I kind of forgot Tails was also a

good mechanic and I didn't want to leave Judy and Silver waiting, also, there were only two

open seats left on the bus." Nick went on to say. These weren't excuses made by the

con-turned-cop, but actual facts. "I'd better go see if Tails is ok really quick." Sonic offered, but

Nick objected again. "Why don't you just call him on your phone?" "First off, my friend might

need my help, and I'm definitely not going to ignore him. Second, my phone is still charging in

the car from all those selfies I took at the mall and the bowling alley last night." Sonic motioned

towards his phone which was connected towards a mobile car charger. Justin was just wanting

it to be a nice calm ride in the car, so he offered a suggestion to his hedgehog friend.

"Look Sonic, _I'll_ call Tails, alright. He's gonna be a little late anyway…" "Thanks, but I'm pretty

sure today you're gonna be seeing why I'm the fastest thing alive." Sonic quipped as he opened

the door of the car, tuck-and-rolled, then ran off to find his friend. This left Gazelle trying to

piece the puzzle even moreso. Both showed love to her in various ways in her life. Justin was

the type of guy who showed love through words. How he phrased things. He was the friend

who knew _exactly_ what to say and how to say it in order to encourage someone when they were

going through a tough time or challenge. His actions weren't exactly as bold or heroic as

Sonic's, but he was always there when his friends needed him. Sonic on the other hand, was a

really good speaker, maybe not always having the most advanced vocabulary, but also said

what he wanted to say really well. While Justin best showed his love through _speaking_ love, to

Sonic, love is something that is best _proven_ not just said. Anyonecan _say_ loving things, but it's

a different thing entirely to _prove_ one's loyalty, one's love in the rough-and-tough situations of

them all. That, was Sonic's thing. Gazelle had seen a lot of good reasons to pick either one as

the holder of her heart, but a heart in the wrong hands can be left broken, and if not broken,

scarred. For life.

 _Timeskip about 20 minutes later._

"Where could those guys be?" Sonic asked, tapping his foot along the pavement of the

restaurant. He proved true to his word on being the fastest thing alive, meeting Tails on the curb

where the car broke down in 2 seconds after he tuck-and-rolled out of Gazelle's limo and

(after finding that Tails didn't have the right tools for fixing the car) rushed him to the Cash Cow

in less than 1 second. The two were waiting for the limo to show up and they were getting

bored fast. "How much longer do you think it's gonna take for them to get here?" Sonic was

impatiently asking his kitsune friend. "Now now Sonic, I know you're in love with Gazelle, but

I'm sure she's fine." Tails answered with a sly grin on his face. Normally Sonic would throw in

some excuse proving otherwise, but what the kitsune said was true this time. "Ok

Tails, you're right this time." Tails smiled in a content state of excitement for his friend. There

were some differences between the blur and Gazelle, as well as similarities. Sonic was actually

born into a more "average" life setting. His family wasn't very rich or popular, but they weren't

poor either. Sonic's parents both died when Sonic was about 13, but more on that in another

chapter. Gazelle was always blessed, but Sonic had to work for what he had. He saved his

world from Eggman and other villains countless times. Outside of saving the world, Sonic also

proved his worth as an athlete by winning various medals at the Olympic Games, being one of

the best basketball players on his rec team (the Mobius Knights), and he also proved to be a

loyal friend thick and thin. Lately however, Sonic began to question why he had to prove himself

to being with. Or, in other words, what was the point of him being this "legend" everyone

aspired to be. "But, she's in love with somebody else." Sonic admitted with a slight frown on his face.

"Justin?" Tails asked. "Justin." Sonic confirmed. "Maybe you should tell her how you feel. I

never saw her in person save for last night, but going off of what I heard from others and what

you were telling me

last night, she's very approachable." Tails said. "You haven't been there like I have Tails. If

I did that now, that would be me doing it for me. Gazelle might not be too happy to pick

favorites. I'm not going to go that low and cause more trouble." Sonic replied back. "But Sonic,

aren't you always the one that just rushes in and proves anyone and everyone wrong when they

challenge you?" "Yes Tails, I may be, but I may not be what she wants. She might actually

 _prefer_ Justin over me, and that's fine with me." "Sonic, I know you're trying to find your purpose

here, but I know with how off your game you've been lately, you deserve a win." "I'm not the

one who decides who wins her heart Tails. If she chooses Justin, fine with me, if she can make

her happy again, fine. I'll still be there for her though when she needs me." "And if she chooses

you Sonic?" Sonic paused for a second in their little debate. Sonic never quite thought about

that before. "Then that will be fine too. I can't be doing those military-esque trips to Mobius and

back to protect the world, and that might be something we'd talk about, but no matter who she

chooses in the end, I'll still be her friend Tails." "Awweeeee" "Was that you Tails?" Sonic asked

his longtime bff. "That wasn't me Sonic." Tails responded. Sonic then turned around to see

Justin and Nick making the "awes" happen. "Ok you two, what _really_ took you so long?" Sonic

quipped. "Well forgive me if my car's not fast enough for you Sonic." Gazelle quipped from

behind. "You seemed a little quiet in the car. What was going on?" Sonic asked. "Oh, nothing.

I don't want to talk about it right now." Gazelle said, with her head hung low. "Well, if there's

any way I can help you, then just ask." Sonic offered. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, I just

have a tough time figuring out _how_ to tell you." Gazelle said, with a bit of sadness in her voice.

"Alright then, I understand." Sonic knew that now wasn't the time to be rushing into her

personal problems; although ironically enough, Sonic actually felt compelled to tell her his

situation. Knowing how somewhat annoying it can be to be as vulnerable as she was right now,

Sonic decided that his concern for her was something to be talked about later. The two friends

embraced for a while before a third voice interrupted. "Whoa, how did Silver get here before

us?" Tails asked. Nick, not wanting to break up the friendly moment between the hedgehog

and the gazelle, replied for Sonic. "My car broke down first, so I'm thinking the bus already took

them there before we got here." Tails was pointing at Silver and Judy, who appeared to be in

some form of small talk in Cash Cow. "Well, let's go in and find out then." Sonic asked, finally

breaking up from the embrace. "Wait a minute guys, who said we had to do it like that?" Justin

interrupted. The others turned around to see Justin holding a box that contained hipster

clothes. "Since we have had enough fun with SonElle here, let's have a little fun with this.

Sonic, you got a phone on you?" Sonic pulled out a smartphone, indicating Justin that he _did_

have one. "Good, we'll go on instinct here. Find something that they think is cool, then let's

have fun with it." "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Gazelle asked her wolf friend, not wanting

to get caught in anything embarrassing. "Oh come on 'Zelle, how bad can it be?"

The five, sneaking in with hipster attire on, sneaked up to Silver and Judy's table undetected as

they overheard what seemed like a very romantic conversation. "Follow my lead when I flash a

finger, ok?" Everyone nodded in confirmation with the statement. "So Silver, what do you enjoy

doing in your spare time?" Sonic heard Judy asked. Sonic was wearing a black motorcycle

vest and had a golden dollar necklace on his neck as well as smooth polarized shades to finish

it off. "Now?" Sonic asked Justin, who was wearing a lime-green t-shirt and had his naturally

grey mullet painted black. "Not yet."

 _Timeskip_

Justin finally flashed Sonic the signal to hit the record button right after Judy asked Silver if he

had a girlfriend, which felt like unusual timing to Sonic, but he decided to roll along with it. "I

understand, so what do you think we're gonna do about finding those wolves?" Justin flashed

the signal again, and everyone howled in front of Sonic's phone (which he turned around for

everyone to be in it) and by the time Judy and Silver saw what was going on, Sonic hit stop and

posted the video to Zootube while Silver and Judy were preoccupied with trying to get back into

their conversation. "Did you _see_ the looks on their faces? That had to be the most _priceless_

expression I've ever seen." Nick said, who flashed a necklace made of rhinestones and wore a

fedora that clashed rather handsomely with his signature polo and sunglasses. Gazelle (in a

hot pink t-shirt with a rainbow hawaiian lei draped over her horns) later accompanied the

taunting with her own happy laughter and her own taunt. "Nick, that was

really priceless. I hope you got the picture." "I did way better than that Gazelle. _I CAUGHT_

 _THE WHOLE THING ON VIDEO AND JUST SENT IT TO ZOOTUBE!_ " Sonic flared up the

room with that bold statement. There was only two dark spots hidden in the room, and those

two were Judy Hopps and Silver the Hedgehog, whose grey and white complexions were

colored pink with embarrassment. "Enough Sonic, can't you see we're busy here?" Justin finally

decided that the finale of their prank needed to come soon if they were going to be able to eat at

all, so he decided to end it here and now. "Busy doing what," Justin grabbed his smartphone,

flicked it to the video and counted the views on it. "getting us all a million views in a single

second?" "Whooooooooooooooa!" everybody shouted simultaneously. Then everybody

decided that now would be a good time to get what they came for, so they waited in the

somewhat crowded like for their food. "Hang on guys, hold up." Nick said, holding his arm up to

stop the group. They stopped immediately when they saw Nick point to someone right in front

of him in line. "Nick, what's up?" Gazelle asked. Nick didn't respond, he just simply tapped the

eagle on the wing.

 _Chorus of BZRK by Family Force 5 plays._

The golden eagle turned around to reveal sunglasses on his face, which he immediately took off

after recognizing Nick. After that, the two pulled themselves into a bro-hug and whispered some

kind of chant into each others ears. "Uh guys, you guys aren't hailing Hydra over here are

you?" Sonic asked curiously from the line. Nick turned, along with his golden eagle friend,

towards the line. "Guys, this is a very special friend of mine. Lieutenant Kevin Zadock

Eagleton of S.W.E.A.T. Or KZ for short." The golden eagle flashed a golden smile and shook

everyone's hand/paw. "Hey, nice to meet you all. I didn't know Nickster here had the nerve to

post an awesome vid like that."

 _Timeskip...15 minutes later_

"So, what would we call ourselves?" Justin asked, thoroughly enjoying a PBJ burrito. The five

were now reclining at a bar (Don't get any ideas, it's not an alcohol bar. The kind where you sit

at and place your food at. There's no beer/wine/alcohol drinks in Zootopia) munching on food

and cracking all sorts of funny conversations. "How about KZ and the Flurries?" Nick

suggested, having some fun with his eagle pal. "Na na na, we gotta put _all_ of us into this man.

Here's an idea. What do we all like?" KZ suggested. "Well, we're furry. There's five of us, and

when we come together, we're a force to be reckoned with." Justin said. "Wait, I got it. How

about the Furry Force 6." "Furry Force 6?" Sonic wasn't really getting the tone of this new

nickname. "Furry Force 6? Really Nick? That's the best you can come up with?" Gazelle said,

obviously agreeing with the blur. "Hang on, I like where he's going with this. But how about

Furry Force 5, instead of Furry Force 6." KZ offered. "But how would you still be in it?" Nick

said. He was right though. There were actually _6_ of them (counting KZ), not 5. "Hey, we'll still

have you in man, you're cool with us." Justin said, then later pounded his fist on the wooden

bar like a gavel. "All those in favor of allowing KZ into Furry Force 5, say 'yo.'" All five of them

"yo'ed" of course, officially allowing KZ into the club. "I'd love to raise my drink in celebration,

but this lemonade is too sour, I'll be right back." Sonic said, walking around towards where

there were some sugar packets. "I'll raise my glass for you buddy." Tails offered. Everyone

cheered, toasted, and held their glasses high. "'So KZ, what is the S.W.E.A.T.?" Tails asked.

"It stands for Sky, Water, Earth, Air and Tree Surveillance. We basically handle the cases that

the ZPD usually can't handle on their own." "I see, so, what cases are you working on?" Tails

asked. All eyes in the room were on Tails, except Sonic's who was trying to get sugar for his

lemonade. "Whoops, sorry everyone." Tails apologized. He forgot that it wasn't smart to ask

an officer about his business in public. "S.W.E.A.T. business only, go back to your food." KZ

said, everybody complied and KZ then whispered something to Tails. "I'm actually investigating

a series of food poisoning crimes that are involving sugar. We are currently trying to track which

one's have the highest poison rating so that we can find the company and shut down their

production." "Any idea what company it is?" Tails whispered. "We narrowed it down to three.

For some reason, the poisonings have been mainly happening in restaurants like this. These

guys, whoever they are, might get bold enough to start spreading their poison to everyone else."

Silver wanted to join in the conversation too. "That's funny, I was investigating some wolf

attacks on the Gazelle concert. Do you think they might have something to do with it?" "Could

be, but we won't be sure until…" As if on cue, Sonic started screaming in the highest amount of

pain as he was seen clutching his head rather tightly. "We found it!" KZ shouted. The

remaining Furry Force 5 members rushed around Sonic. "Get back, he needs air!" Gazelle

shouted, as the rest of the crowd quickly dispersed out of the eatery. "Can you hear me

Sonic?!" Gazelle asked panickedly. She didn't want to see anyone in pain, much less her new

best friend. She wondered what could've caused such pain and such migraines, especially

when he was feeling perfectly fine earlier that morning. KZ put some sugar packets inside his

pocket as evidence. "Nick, call Chief Bogo. I'll bet someone else is already calling 3-1-1." KZ's

prediction was correct as he saw Gazelle as the one frantically giving out information to the

emergency number for Zootopia. "Also, we gotta get Judy and Silver out of there. The more

witnesses the Chief sees, the more likely this case is cracked. LET'S GO!" KZ shouted.

 _Whoa, CLIFFHANGER! Some of you are thinking, why not flipside when Nick and KZ get Silver and Judy? Because that's how the next chapter starts off with. Anyhow, sorry for not updating. This story is NOT DEAD! But if you do see me slacking, it's not because I want to, but most likely because I'm focused on other stuff in life. So, review how you liked_ both _sides of the first of my flipside chapters. Also, who is your favorite Zootopia character (Zootopia is owned by Disney, not by me.) Is it Judy, Nick, Gazelle, or is it somebody else in this urban jungle? Also, when Sonic said "You guys aren't hailing Hydra here, are you?" That is a play on the popular Marvel catchphrase "Hail Hydra." and again, I do not own Marvel or their catchphrases. Disney actually owns Marvel too. Final announcement here. There_ is _going to be a sequel to "Love in the Open" but I don't exactly have an idea on what to call it. All I do know is that I currently am calling it "The Resistance" but I want to see if any of you have better ideas for it. Also (real final announcement) the song BZRK is owned by Family Force 5 and KB, I do not_ _own_ any _unoriginal content in my fanfic. Only my ideas, story, and OC's are fine. Until next time, this is LoveandEdify saying "Peace out, and I hope you enjoy my story."_


	12. 10 The Right Thing

_I decided to leave out Nick picking up Silver and Judy because that sounded a little redundant, but other than that, here we go!_

Love In The Open

Chapter 10: The Right Thing

" _What have I done?" "'Zelle, it's fine, nothing could have ever been done to reverse it."_

Sonic was laying down in a hospital bed stone-cold and dead-tired. Although not unconscious,

Sonic didn't want to alarm anybody by waking up from his sleep quite yet. _"He's really tired from_

 _the anesthetic. I would give him some more time considering what he's been through."_ Sonic

recognized the voice as a female's voice, but he didn't know who it belonged to. _"I'm sure he'll_

 _be alright. Please do your best on him though."_ "Wait, what's Chief Bogo doing here?" Sonic

thought internally. He only met the buffalo chief once at the concert where he first met Gazelle,

so it was strange for him to be here. _"I need to talk to my cops for a second alone in here, is_

 _that fine?"_ Sonic then heard footsteps and assumed that everyone else complied. _"KZ, you_

 _were right, it is Sucrase that is making everyone get the migraines, and what's more shocking is_

 _that one of their ingredients were Night Howlers._ "Wait, Night What?" Sonic was thinking

internally, a little louder this time. What were these "Night Howlers?" A drug, pill, mind-control

serum? Any of these were possible guesses. _"I thought that my family got rid of the flowers!"_

" _Judy, they might not have gotten rid of all of it. It could be that they forgot, or someone else_

 _might have gotten a hold of them."_ Sonic knew that Judy wouldn't _try_ to do anything wrong, but

it was something he learned a long time ago. Even heroes make mistakes. That got Sonic

back to wondering about his purpose as a hero. He didn't come closer to an answer, even

though his friends were doing their best to help him answer that. He tried piecing together what

information he had. Gazelle, Night Howlers, Judy Hopps, Justin Timberwolf, ZPD, S.W.E.A.T.?! He had so much clutter in

his head that he couldn't fit any more shelves to help organize it. The only decision he could

come to was to see if he could help his new friends stop Sucrase from causing more harm to

others. The only reason he could come up with? It was the right thing to do. _"Chief, with all_

 _due respect, I want to use my rules of witness on Silver and Tails to come with Nick, Judy and_

 _Myself."_ KZ declared. "Rules of Witness" in Zootopia were simple rules that stated that a cop

has a right to take along a witness of an incident to help them solve a case. Witnesses also

have a right to decline, unless they are somewhat already involved with criminal activity,

explaining how Judy was allowed to use Nick for the previous night-howler case, before she

helped him change his ways and become an officer for the ZPD. "And don't forget Sonic!"

Everyone in the room turned around to hear the awake, enthused and very much alive Sonic the

Hedgehog. "I knew you'd come back buddy!" Judy said excitedly, as she started to hop into

Sonic's arms, but then got down when she realized she might hurt Sonic. He just held her in his

arms anyway, giving her a gentle squeeze before releasing her. "Hang on, how did he not go

savage?" Judy asked, rather confused. "Savage?" Sonic asked, just as confused at Judy's

statement. "Yeah Chief, how did he not just go all crazy?" Nick asked Chief Bogo. "I think I can

answer that guys. Sucrose _knew_ about the first night-howler case being very big, so they

altered the formula somewhat for only a minor mundane thing like migraines to happen instead

so that they are least likely to be suspected." KZ responded. Everybody just stared at him in

pure amazement. "Ok, when did _you_ become a scientist?" Nick asked his golden eagle pal.

"It's not science," KZ stated, before he flashed a sly smile at Nick, "It's logic." The chief then

rose up to speak again. "Very well KZ, any evidence is at your disposal." Sonic's anticipation

about joining in on the case was made evident by his looks and boundless energy surrounding

him. "Sonic, as much as they could use your help _physically_ , I think the best thing for _you_ to do

is to sit on the sidelines for this one." As much as Sonic didn't want to admit it, he was ticked at

this move. "WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Sonic shouted into the Chief's ears. "If my friends are

going…" "Have you found your purpose yet hedgehog?" Chief Bogo interrupted. Sonic just

hung his head down low, knowing that whatever he said next wasn't going to persuade the

legal, upstanding, noble police chief. "That's what I thought. I'd _love_ to see you in action Sonic,

but the way you've been mentally proves that you might need to set things straight before

rushing back into action." Sonic pondered Bogo's words. He showed nothing but respect for

this strong and powerful figure, and although he didn't necessarily _agree_ with Bogo's choice, he

knew that the more appropriate thing to do was to sort out the problems going through his own

mind before trying to solve someone else's. "I understand sir." Sonic said, saluting the buffalo

chief, who smiled and saluted back. The chief handed Sonic a note card, which he took and

read inside his head. "Mongoose Psychiatrics?" Sonic asked. "It's a place where most of my

officers go for their problems. I think Molly will help you too." Sonic thought he heard someone

mention "Molly Mongoose" before, but couldn't remember where. Sonic then shrugged, thanked

the buffalo, then walked out of the hospital room. When the five officers left the room, a

question crossed Nick's mind. "Hey Chief, mind if I ask you something?" "Make it snappy

Wilde, we have a case to solve." Bogo responded. "Ok, so what do you think Clawhauser

would be most excited about, Judy and Silver being a thing or Gazelle possibly eyeing Sonic?"

"Wait a minute…" Silver tried to interrupt, but Chief Bogo saved him there. "I've got this Silver."

He then whispered into Nick's ear, "I don't know, but knowing how big a Gazelle fan he is, he'd

be pretty happy to hear that news when he returns." The two were then smiling happily the rest

of the way, as things were looking up. Not just for Sonic and Gazelle, but for Silver and Judy as

well. Even though Silver didn't think it was as obvious. Yet.

 _Well, there you go. Sonic's going to try and get things straightened out in his cluttered mind and Silver and Judy may/may not be a thing. So next chapter, we're going to dive deeper into what Gazelle's been thinking about all of this stuff going on, as well as Justin offering some input of his own. Also, Silver comes to realize that Judy might be a really great friend, but can't hide the feeling that there might be something more to her than he thinks. Which "ship" do you think is going to sail first? In honor of having over 2,000 views already, here's a riddle for you. What are the two types of views in a Fanfic? Bye._


	13. LITO: Chapter 11: Rights and Wrongs

_Hey everyone. So, the answer to my riddle. What are the two types of views in a Fanfic? Answer: Views and_ Re _views. I've been honored to have over 2,300 views, but I've only had_ 7 re _views on this Fanfic. Anyhow, hope you enjoy this chapter._

LITO Chapter 11.

Rights and Wrongs

"Alright guys, so here's our situation." Chief Bogo exclaimed along the elevator to his coworkers

inside. The five remaining people who were inside the elevator with the chief; Judy, Nick, KZ,

Silver and Tails, were listening intently as Chief Bogo explained their instructions. "Ok, we have

been thinning at cops in ZPD as most of them have either been captured or killed by the

wolf ninjas that have been popping up lately. You were right Silver. The wolf bodyguards are

indeed connected to Sucrase, and I believe that the company has been connected to something

else." Everyone else looked at each other wondering the same thing in their minds. "Where's

the connection in all of this?" Luckily, that train of thought didn't last very long as the Chief

finally explained what was happening. "We know that the Sucrose Sugar Co. has been shut

down about 5 years ago when not enough sufficient funds came in that eventually shut the

business down. However, about a week ago, millionaire Jerry Vole brought the company for a

very impressive price." The elevator immediately stopped at the main floor of the hospital as the

six animals walked past the reception desk and got into a yellow taxi-cab which was parked

right outside the hospital. "Now, I know this isn't a police car," Chief Bogo went on to explain,

while his officers still remained in his attention, "but we have this to avoid suspicion from

bystanders and also S.W.E.A.T is letting us borrow their cars, equipment and most importantly,

their cops to help us crack this case." "I hate to interrupt you there Chief Buy-One-Get-One,

but…" Nick started, but was immediately cut off again. "Buy-One-Get-One?" Chief Bogo stated,

Showing a look at Nick that wasn't mad, but rather, confused at that statement. "Yeah. You

see, a fast food deal is called Buy-One-Get-One. Now if you combine the first letters,

Buy-One-Get-One. Buy-One-Get-One. BOGO. Get it?" Nick slyly stated towards the police

Chief. Although Nick thought it was a clever joke on his part, not everyone else in the car

thought of the joke was amusing. "If you stopped being such a smart-alec Wilde, then I'll get

there!" Chief Bogo exclaimed, also throwing a sharp look at Nick, snapping him right back into

attention. "Now then, also on that exact same day, a clan of white wolves dressed in black ninja

clothing started rampaging along Zootopia starting minor attacks on our citizens. The attack on

Gazelle a few days ago made us realize that they are starting to get bold, attacking bigger

targets and also going after larger amounts of money." "But since Sonic showed them up,

they're not going to try that trick again." Tails said, beaming with confidence. "Not exactly.

Sonic stopping four wolves was highly impressive, but even though they only attack in groups of

four during each raid, there are actually at least 100,000 wolves in that gang. Including an

anonymous benefactor who is donating significant funds to help further their cause." Everyone

sat down, staring at each other again before Judy raised her paw. "Doesn't that mean that

Gazelle would be attacked again?" "Unless Sonic left her side, then I don't think _anyone_ would

try that trick again. I have the highest amount of confidence in him. Alright everyone, I have

two possible angles as to solve the identity of the leader of the gang." Everyone looked

intentedly at the Chief of Police again. "Wilde, Tails, KZ; it has caught my attention that these

wolves might possibly be part of an ancient cult that has attempted to terrorize Zootopia in the

past, I'm going to drive you three off to the Natural History Museum and see if you can find clues

there." Nick was a little unnerved about going to the Natural History Museum again.

Last week, he and Judy had to stop a corrupt Mayor Bellwether from turning predators and prey

against each other by acting a charade in where Nick pretended to go savage and eat his

partner. But when the facade ended, and Judy recorded Bellwether's plot as evidence for her

crimes, the ZPD arrested her and an honest mayoor took her place. Nick still wondered about

what would have happened if even _one_ part of their plan went wrong, but he still sucked it up,

and saluted along with his two new friends. Judy looked at Nick with some concern on her face,

but Nick flashed a signature grin to show her that she was ok. "Hopps, Silver; I need you two to

investigate exactly _how_ your family got rid of the Night Howlers. It could be that they either sold

them to somebody they didn't know was a crook or that the thief actually took them themselves.

Investigate, find out what's going on, and report back." "You can count on us sir." Officer Hopps

said boldly, saluting the chief as he started to drive off. Silver's mind was occupied with the

mission at hand, but Judy's was on other things. Silver was not an ordinary hedgehog, and to

Judy, that meant something. She met Tails, who helped them solve the first Night Howler case

and also told them about Sonic and his friends. Judy didn't hear too much about the white

hedgehog from Tails, so finding out about this stranger was interesting for her. Silver seemed

like a mixed bag to her at first, but as she was starting to get to know him, she was also starting

to have some feelings for him. Unlike Sonic and Gazelle, who were still struggling to find out

what _their_ feelings were, Judy already got her feelings out in the open, and got full support from

Nick and Tails. Now, the only two things for her to focus on were getting to know Silver, and

patiently waiting to see if he had the same feelings.

 _Well guys that's it for… oh wait a minute, that's right…_

So what were Sonic, Justin, and Gazelle up to? All three of them went back to the mansion for

to recover from the trauma they went through. Seeing a friend go down hard, especially Sonic,

had always been tough for Gazelle, but this time, things were getting even _more_ confusing for

Her. Why did she care so much for somebody that she only met a few days ago? Sonic was

indeed making life more fun and enjoyable for her. It gave her a break from being on the

spotlight of light because someone saw her for who she really was. A fun loving,

tender-hearted, beautiful Gazelle who wanted nothing more than to make differences in others

lives. "That's it! That's why I love him so much!" Gazelle shouted. She took that thought to

heart like a miner would take to a sapphire. However though, she also realized something else.

Justin. He had just reformed and now she was thinking about what he would think. Luckily for

Gazelle, she didn't have to go over to talk to Justin. "Hey 'Zelle, you want some lemonade?"

Justin came to her. Holding some ice-cold sparkling lemonade on a round tray. "Oh sure I'll

have a glass, thanks Justin." Gazelle said, a little bit more down. Justin looked

compassionately on his friend and took a deep sigh. He also had a lot more on his mind, but

the main difference was that while Gazelle didn't exactly know how to _state_ her problem in an

understandable and effective way, Justin already knew exactly what and how to say what was

on his mind, but his issue was _when_ to bring it up. Being the bright and perceptive wolf he was,

the troubled look on Gazelle told him the time was now. "Hey 'Zelle, mind if I tell you a little

Secret?" Gazelle didn't want to look disdainfully at him, so she nodded her head in agreement.

"I think it's about time I told you why I decided to return to Zootopia. I've actually had about 15

record companies want to listen to my songs. That means no having to rely on gang support for

money when I or anyone in my family goes bankrupt like I have since the first time we met. No

more having to worry about the past anymore, but out of all those things, there is one main

reason I came back that is more important than all of them." Gazelle was staring at her

timberwolf friend patiently anticipating his answer, but instead, Justin cupped his claws, and

whispered into Gazelle's anticipating ears, "I came back because of you." Gazelle smiled

contentedly at that statement, as she was realizing that Justin had truly changed. "I also came

back to apologize to you about what happened. About why I left. My family was bankrupt so I

had no way to provide for them. It was never you, it was always me. I don't deserve your

forgiveness, but I want to make things right." Gazelle didn't scream, she wasn't upset, she

didn't do anything for a few seconds, until, finally, she broke down into tears and hugged Justin.

"My friend, of course I can forgive you." After embracing for a million years, well ok, it was

 _actually_ two minutes, but you get the idea, the two broke up from their embrace before Justin

was about to say something else. ""Gazelle, I know why you've been acting so strange lately."

Justin asked in a calm, sincere way; but for Gazelle, that phrase was a little uncomfortable to

her. "Y-you do?" Justin was oblivious as to why Gazelle was stammering like this, until he

realized that maybe he phrased things a little _too_ subtlety. "I'm more than happy for you and

Sonic, really I am. He's a great guy, and I'm glad he's making your world beautiful again." This

had Gazelle smiling on all cylinders. She was wondering for sometime if he was ok with Sonic

around and this response clarified things up for her. "Do you know how long he's staying?"

Justin asked. "Oh, he's going to be staying until someone helps him find, refind rather, his

purpose in life." "Really?" Gazelle nodded to Justin's question. "Listen to me, ok 'Zelle? I've

heard Tails tell me about Sonic, and I know he's great. I also know he's from way far far away."

Gazelle's smiling complexion started to go down. How could she not have thought of this

before? "Sonic is great, and I'm sure he'll remember you. For some time. He has a world of

his own. He'll always have you in his heart, but how long would it last when duty calls?"

Gazelle immediately thought about that. She wanted to be happy and hopefully that meant

having Sonic around for awhile, but she had to choose whether to sacrifice her own happiness

or Sonic's. Stressed, Gazelle sighed with her horns hung low. "Alright Justin, what would you

suggest?" "Well, Sonic _is_ great, and I'd love to hang with him and help all I can. But Sonic can't

be around forever because he needs to go back to His World." Justin started. "What are you

saying? We kick him out?" Gazelle asked, rather stunned. "No, you're not getting it at all. I

don't mind Sonic staying here. But Gazelle, we can't help him." Gazelle's eyes were crowded

in tears from what she just heard. Did she just hear Justin suggest she'd break her promise to

Sonic? Especially after all the kindness he had shown to her? "Gazelle, I know this seems like

breaking a promise to your friend, but sometimes we have to do the wrong thing for the right

reason. You deserve a better win than a fantasy that will never come. If you don't want to do it

now, that's fine. Think about it, ok?" Gazelle was left with a heart-throbbing decision. She

knew that breaking a promise to a very dear friend was wrong, but she also knew that if she

helped Sonic, it would be a lost cause anyway. That would be all he'd be, a lost cause. Either

way, he'd have to leave with the hole in her heart growing larger. Finally, with tears in her eyes,

Gazelle finally made up her mind. "I'll tell him tomorrow afternoon." She finally walked off from

the patio to her bedroom to try and let sleep wash away her worries. Little did she know,

someone was watching her. A lonely blue figure, hiding under the patio roof-light, recording on

his phone, observing with his eyes, and capturing in his memory, the heart-breaking moment.

 _Hope you all loved this chapter and I'll see you soon. What do you think is going to happen with Gazelle and Sonic now that he has found out what's happening? Will their friendship be broken? Only time (and continued reading) will tell. LoveandEdify out._


	14. Q&A Time (Part 1)

Q&A Time

 _Matthew Parker's Mousetrap starts to play._

Hey everyone. I know a lot of you have read and loved my Sonic-Zootopia story, LITO (or called by its full name, Love In The Open). I figured it's about time to share with you guys the things I've been up to as plotting in this story and future work. As I've said before, I'm shocked that despite the massive amount of views that I've had on this story and I really appreciate everyone who has read this story, I feel somewhat disappointed that I've only had a handful of reviews for this story. I was originally planning on answering some review questions from the last chapter, but since I'm gonna be busy the next few days, I figured that if you want to put reviews on for _this_ chapter to go into a Q&A that I'm doing _right after_ Love In The Open is completed, that would be really great because it gives me great input for future chapters and gives me great ideas.

 _Music stops._

Ok, here we go. This first question is a review from a guest who really enjoyed my story.

" _so I am guessing sonic is only wearing his shoes and from judy's reaction to the nudist club shows it is not common to walk around naked just saying like the story so far though_ " Ok, so remember, the Mobians would be considered "aliens" if you will, visiting Zootopia, and as I'm going to explain in later chapters, Judy _initially_ thinks it's strange, but Nick reminds her that it's part of their custom. By the way, Tails was actually with them during the first Zootopia in my story, and I'm going to make that evidently clear within the next 3-4 chapters.

Ok, next question. This time coming from a really cool Fanficer who has been really helpful to me over the process of LITO and that is Chimichanger. Chimichanger has also written a really cool Sonic-Zootopia story called "Broken Glass" and I really think it's worth checking it out. In fact, do me a favor right now and go follow/favorite this guy because he has just been _so AWESOME_ in helping me come up with great ideas. Ok here we go.

" _It seems that Sonic already has mentioned in Chapter 10 that he knows what his purpose is. To do the right thing. How is that a struggle for him?_ " I kinda had to paraphrase this one because the actual question was kind of lengthy. I actually kinda explained the answer in my previous chapter. When Justin is advising Gazelle to break her promise to Sonic so that she can have her mind at ease, he says "Sometimes we do the wrong things for the right reasons." and if you think about it for a second, the _opposite_ is also true. We can sometimes do the _right_ things for the _wrong_ reasons. Imagine that for a second that a new guy came to your school and he seemed pretty lonely, so you would want to befriend him so that he can feel welcome. (Right thing for the right reason.) but when you find out that his family is rich, your motives kind of start to change. Now you're motive is like "Hey, now that i know this guy, I can start trying to buy his trust and maybe, just maybe, he could also let me in on some of his wealth." That is obviously a selfish and greedy reason so you go from doing the right thing for the right reason to doing the _right_ thing for the _wrong_ reason. Hope this answers your question Chimi.

Ok, since I didn't really have too too many reviews, I'll just answer questions that some of you have been wondering in general, but haven't had the time to send it in.

 _Are you planning on doing a sequel_? Well, the short answer. Yes, yes I am. I'm actually planning on making this a trilogy of stories. (At _least_ a trilogy, it'll also depend on how popular it gets.) The sequel will be definitely more Mobius centered than the last one (as the main world in LITO is Zootopia) and it's basically going to be me messing around with the idea from Project Sonic. (Project Sonic is owned by SEGA, not me.) So if none of you have seen the trailer or heard about it yet, _Project Sonic_ is the latest Sonic game announced that is coming out around winter of 2017. The trailer itself explains the story pretty well as Sonic is trying to destroy Eggman's robots that have taken over the world and it is now in this apocalyptic setting. After the trailer, the phrase "Join the Resistance" shows. I would _highly_ recommend you watching the trailer for Project Sonic on Youtube to get a better grasp of it. After watching the trailer, I was like "Hey, this is great. I could _totally_ do something with this. It will be exciting, there's amazing potential for this game. I can't wait to do it!" As for the title, I'm kind of debating between "The Resistance," "The Project," and "When Everything Falls Apart." I'm leaning more towards The Project, but you guys send in a review telling me what you think.

 _System Victim by Matthew Parker plays_

 _What do you have in store for LITO?_ Well, it's almost impossible to answer that without spoiling it too much, but I will say that my next three chapters are going to be focusing on Judy and Silver as they try to tackle down the Sucrose company. This will be an exciting chapter because it will be exciting for fans to see how Judy approaches her love for Silver. We all know what Silver thinks about the relationship, but I haven't discussed what Judy's feeling about this yet. I also can tell you that the next chapter will take place in Bunnyborrow (Judy's hometown) and big changes will be coming to the town because of Judy's success. The rest, you're going to have to wait for yourself.

 _Why isn't this a JuNick story?_ Alright, alright, don't throw the pitchforks yet. I was initially going to have this story be Judy and Nick gaining a stronger friendship, but what got me going on shipping Judy with a Mobian is when I started Chapter 6 when Tails calls the meeting with Sonic's friends. What was going through my mind was, "Wait, Sonic's already with Gazelle and there are _far too many_ JuNick stories (despite how good they are) so it'd be cool to ship Judy with a Mobian for fun." I thought about it come more and when I realized that Silver is being _sorely_ underused in both Sonic games _and_ fanfics, I realized that shipping Silver with Judy might be a great idea. Both are really empathetic, they are both really passionate about making sure the right thing is done, and also (unlike Nick) Silver is pretty honest and open about most things. Sometimes he says things in ways that would make people take him the wrong way, but he does his best to be honest without offending anyone. (Observe, Part 1 of my Flipside Chapters when Silver responds to Judy asking him about his feelings for her. He knows Judy wants an answer, but he doesn't really want to say anything yet so he just says it plain and simple.) He's a real champ in my book, but don't worry HoppsWilde people, Judy and Nick will still maintain their friendship.

 _Music stops_

 _So, why is Gazelle not as honest and open about her feelings towards Sonic?_

 _#LITO by Press Play plays_

To show what real LITO (Love In The Open) is all about. The reason why I'm having Judy and Silver's stories antelope (it's _interlope_ , but come on, the pun was pretty good) with Sonic and Gazelle's story is to set up a stark contrast about their relationships. For example, Sonic and Gazelle _know_ they have feelings for each other, but each one has kept the feelings to themselves afraid of the fact about how the circumstances are going to work; Judy and Silver on the other hand are pretty honest and open about how their relationship is going to work and Judy does the right thing by first, apologizing to Silver about the way she treated him, two, explaining to Nick how she's feeling about Silver, and third, asking Silver about his love life without being _too_ abrupt. Also, (this might be heading into spoiler territory) Gazelle breaks her promise to Sonic with the intention of trying to ease her guilty mind but feels even more terrible; but as we'll see with Silver, he tells Judy about what happened between him and Blaze he actually notices the hurt in his mind decrease as Judy "heals" him if you will. Judy and Silver are Love In The Open, they are the personification of what it takes to truly make not just a relationship, but even a true friendship work. In case you're wondering both relationships in this story will end well. Sonic and Gazelle will have an even stronger relationship in _The Project_ (Yes, I'm now confirming that's what it will be called.) not _exactly_ like Judy and Silver's but it will becomes really solid.

 _Music stops_

Ok, final question

 _What are your opinions on a Zootopia sequel (the movie, not the fanfic)_ Oh YES PLEASE! I really loved the first Zootopia and I can't wait to see where Judy and Nick are going with all of this. Should they be shipped or should they remain friends? Either one would be cool. I really _do_ think Gazelle deserves a larger role in the story especially after how well Shakira just _aced_ the character. I really came to love both Gazelle _and_ Shakira after Zootopia (despite that the latter has recently released two new songs I can't understand because they are in Spanish.) She definitely deserves credit for her work with the UN and what she represents when it comes to trying to give children better education and how she stands _against_ human trafficking and also her work with UNICEF. Enough of that rambling, Gazelle's lack of involvement in Zootopia is what inspired me to give her a bigger role in #LITO. I figured that since not everybody sees Sonic and Gazelle as the perfect match, I decided to debunk them by having them together because Gazelle would be that type (in my eyes) that would help someone in need and also would want to get to know them better and also like I said in LITO over and over, the two _are_ pretty similar when you take a close look.

Well, that's it for this Q&A Chapter. I _really_ look forward to seeing your reviews for the next Q&A chapters.

 _Falling Away by Seven Lions (Festive Mix) plays_

Special shoutouts to my followers: Chimichangar, Andrea and Naturberd, DarkUmbreon15, Nintendo-Marvel64, Readerfever, SONAZEFAN15, beautiful ashlynn ketchum, commander64 and wise70.

Also, the songs that I used in this Fanfic and the Q&A section are _NOT_ mine, they belong to their respected owners. Any unowned content is used for entertainment and educational use only. If you want to search any of the songs I used in this Fanfiction story on Youtube for a good listen, that is a great idea. Zootopia belongs to Disney, Sonic characters belong to SEGA. This story and my ideas _are_ mine though, so please private message me if you want to use my ideas first. Or in general, if you have any ideas for my story, private message or send a review.

That's it for this. Next chapter coming soon. Bye.


	15. Chapter 12: Back to the Burrows

_Any unoriginal material is used for entertainment and educational purposes only._

LITO Chapter 12: Back to the Burrows

Right after Chief Bogo dropped Nick, KZ and Tails off at the Natural History Museum, he

dropped Judy and Silver off at the train station where he handed them two official ZPD train

passes, which would allow them to get on the quickest train to Bunnyborrow. Judy was really

excited about showing her friend the small country life of her hometown, but she was excited for

another reason. The day she discovered she was smitten for the white hedgehog actually

occurred _after_ the incident at the bowling alley. It wasn't exactly "love at first sight" for her at

first, but it was when the two bonded on the car ride back from the bowling alley that the loving

feelings first arrived. After reflecting on it before going to bed, she tried to retrace her thoughts

in order to figure out where those feelings came from. She replayed the first conversation with

Silver on her phone since it could also record conversations (One of the perks of being one of

the ZPD's best.) then came to realize that Silver was trying to have a little bit of fun her instead

of the ridicule she initially thought was taking place. Judy wanted to take Silver out to

Bunnyburrow for a change of pace. Little did she know that Bunnyburrow would be changing for

her.

 _Keep it Rocking by The So Many's plays._

When the train arrived at Bunnyburrow 15 minutes later, Judy immediately noticed a big change.

The first thing she noticed was that the population counter was all digital instead of a wooden

board. "Strange, what did they do with that?" Judy wondered in her head. In fact,

Bunnyburrow resembled more of a miniature Zootopia from the looks of the new modern

architecture, new-and-improved tourist attractions and how many rabbits have invested in

various different fields other than farming. As Judy was still wondering what made her

hometown go into this new city look, a limousine driver appeared right next to Judy and Silver.

"Judy Hopps and Silver the Hedgehog?" the old brown rabbit driver said in a polite British

accent.

Both Silver and Judy nodded in response to the driver, affirming it was them. "My name is

Savage. Jack Savage. I am a member of S.W.E.A.T. and have been assigned to take you to

Hopps Family Farms." While Silver enjoyed the looks of the town, Judy was wondering what

motivated anyone to change the town from what it was. "Wow Judy. This definetly looks like a

great town so far." Silver said, in amazement. "Whoa whoa whoa. When did Bunnyburrow get

this big city-ish look?" Judy asked the limo driver, with a bit of suspicion in her eye. "Oh don't

worry Officer Hopps. As you will surely see in a few minutes, Bunnnyburrow hasn't lost all the

small town charm you've come to enjoy."

 _Song ends. 20 minutes later…_

Jack proved to be right. Although Bunnyburrow was booming in business and modernizing its

image, it still held the same friendly country spirit that she had grown accustomed to. Silver and

Judy were both quiet on the limo ride from the train station to the Hopps' farm. Judy anyway,

was a little bit disappointed for a more personal reason. Judy wanted to show Silver some of

her personal memories that had taken place in her hometown. From where she was first

inspired to be a cop, to where she first played soccer, to where she first "met" Gideon Grey. But

now, it seemed that those memories were wiped away. Oh the physical places might have still

been there, but it still wasn't the same for her as showing him the places as they were. Silver

on the other hand, was thinking about other things too. He already knew some things about

Judy's family from what she told him and that the citizens already knew about Mobians from

how their hometown hero recently teamed up with Tails to end the Night Howler conspiracy

which divided predator and prey against each other. Although Bunnyborrow wasn't _as_ affected

by the chaos, it still was keeping close ears on the scandal. Unbeknownst to Judy, the town's

change had to do with a celebration. A celebration she will never forget.

When Jack finally dropped them off at the Hopps Farm, the first thing she saw was an

avalanche. An avalanche of about 274 gray bunnies all wanting to come in for a hug. Judy had

a million things of things to say during all of this. "Hey siblings, how're you all doing? How're

things on the farm? What's with the changes to the city?" Silver on the other hand, only had

 _one_ thing on his mind he spoke. "Judy, is this an orphanage?" Everybody stopped their happy

hugs when they heard that question. Judy was about to answer, but a bunny that was

somewhat shorter than Judy and also looked to be about 15 said what Judy was about to say.

"Have you ever heard of a bunny multiplying?" the bunny asked. The tone in which he asked

Silver implied to him that he was a bit more of a hipster than a farmer. But what confirmed it

was the attire he wore. Big leather jeans with one large rip in the right leg that went from the

knee to the foot and for his shirt, it was a black t-shirt with a white outlined picture of a bunny

wearing a motorcycle helmet. "Ok, can any one of you bunnies tell me what 275 x 132 is?"

Some of the bunnies reacted differently. Some scratched their heads and (rapidly) thumped

their feet to find an answer, others were looking at Judy trying to figure out what this white

Mobian was doing here, while the hipster bunny whispered into Judy's ear with the most disgust,

"How did you end up falling in love with _this_ joker?" Judy turned to answer him when a new

voice entered the crowd and broke them from their trance of thought. "Easy, that's 36,300. And

I should know, because bunnies do multiply." A simple farmer bunny wearing a pair of nice navy

blue overalls and a nice green hat was standing next to a female bunny that wore a nice pink

dress. When Judy recognized who they were, she ran, hopped (no pun intended) and leapt into

the awaiting and anticipating arms of her mom and dad. When they both released her, her

father asked to this crowd of bunnies, "So, what was all this talk about multiplying?"

 _30 minutes later…_

"You see Judy, we destroyed about most of the night howlers, but our new garbage man said he

was more than willing to do it for free with the rest of our garbage." Judy's dad, Stu, explained

to Judy when the question came up at dinner that night. Now, having dinner is pretty hard

enough, but having 276 (counting Silver) dinner guests make things pretty hard. (and yet also

pretty easy considering that everyone usually cooks something for both themselves _and_ each

other.) "Wait, _new_ garbage man? What happened to old Whirley?" Judy asked her parents.

"Old Whirley retired due to intense pain going on in his head." her mom, Bonnie, replied back,

with Stu interjecting, "Yep, he was saying he had the most intense migraine." "Wait a second,

do you have any idea what he's been eating lately?" Silver interjected. "How would that

Determine…?" Bonnie interrupted, but then was interrupted by Silver again. "Where does Old

Whirley live?" "I think he lives in an old house on Fluffytown Avenue." Stu responded. "Honey,

how do you know that is where he lives?" Bonnie asked, not too sure about Stu's sense of

Direction. "Bonnie, you know I've been going there to help him while he's been on those meds."

"I'm sorry to interrupt again, but what meds?" Silver asked. "Well, if you want to see them,

here." Stu said, handing Silver a prescription bottle that clearly had the label "Ecrucas" on it.

"Oh I see where you're getting at Whitey." Judy said in a more flirtatious tone. She knew Silver

was going to get onto something, but she didn't want to be getting in the way. If there was

something that she learned about Silver, it was to be the one _following_ a lead from him, rather

than _giving_ him one, as not to make him feel miserable. She wanted to get to know Silver in two

ways. More and better. "Mom, dad, if Silver is going where I think he's going with this, then our

whole world might be at stake. All of it." Bonnie and Stu looked at their daughter with looks that

were partially understanding and partially confused. (Or as Judy's parents would say, "A

understanding-confused combo.")

 _30 minutes later…_

After explaining to both Stu and Bonnie about the conspiracy about animals being attacked and

them hiding behind the veil of innocent business workers, Silver and Judy decided to approach

the new information in two separate approaches. Judy decided that she would ask the town

doctor if he heard anything about Sucrase (who she thought were the ones that were behind

"Ecracus" or Sucrase with the letters rearranged) and also to get information about how many

bunnies received a similar medication; while Silver decided to investigate the Bunnyborrow

government itself to see if they were aware of these phony dealers showing up and what they

were planning to do to stop it. Judy was hopping along with Bonnie to the doctor and Mr. Hopps

was going along with Silver to City Hall. The reason that they wanted to be involved was

threefold. First, when Judy started doing amazing things in Zootopia, they (along with their

whole family) felt inspired to be more involved in their own community. Second, they felt

responsible for what was happening to these citizens in both the migraines they were receiving

and the news that those business workers were also terrorists. And finally, well…before Judy

and Silver left for Bunnyborrow, Judy gave, what you would call a "checking in" call telling them

about the things that happened recently. With the Night Howlers case, the Gazelle attack, the

Mobian who saved it, the bowling, but most importantly, she told them what happend about how

she felt about Silver. Judy's parents received the news about Silver rather well, but also said

they would want to see Silver for themselves as well. They figured that Judy was not only old

enough at 24, but also wise enough to make such decisions on her own, but they also wanted to

impart some of the wisdom _they_ have learned as well. "Judy, do you plan on wearing that shade

of red _every_ time we see Silver?" Bonnie asked her daughter, who was taken aback by the

question. "Wait, what shade of red?" Bonnie laughed in spite of herself. "Come on Judy, we

saw you at the dinner table just putting your elbow on there, listening to him talk so intently like

that and gazing at him as if he were the Mousa Lisa." Judy giggled a bit at that comment. The

Mousa Lisa was a famous painting Judy read about in a book of famous paintings when she

was 12. Before actually enrolling in the police academy, she spent some of her time helping Old

Rabbit Whirley out in his house performing various chores for him. She enjoyed hanging out

with the old rabbit after work for some cookies and milk as he also taught Judy how to properly

standing up to bullies and also how to fully trust her judgement about right and wrong despite

pressure from others. The old bunny was like a grandfather to Judy and before she left for

Zootopia to be a cop, he gave her a book entitled _Ancient Zootopian Relics_ as a keepsake to

remind her of him and one of her favorite relics in the book was the Mousa Lisa, a popular

ancient painting that was in a museum in Little Rodentia. "I mean, come on mom, you have to

admit he's pretty handsome." Judy said after reminiscing the memory of that book. "Well, what

do you know about him personally?" Bonnie asked, trying to make this conversation a little more

serious. "What do you mean mom? Like what he is as a friend? What hobbies he likes?

What his favorite clothes are?" Judy asked, trying to figure out what her mom meant by "know

about him personally." "Well, not to ask too much, but those are some great things to start out

with." Bonnie said in an agreeing tone. "Well, we actually started off on the wrong foot when we

were hanging out at the bowling alley and he was doing everything it took to make things right."

"Sounds like another bunny I know?" Bonnie teased. Judy responded with a smirk.

"Yeah, I would've done the same thing too. But you want to know what was strange mom?"

"What's that sweetie?" Bonnie asked. "The more I look back at that moment, the more I realize

that he was trying to be my friend all along. I had a rough day at the department when Silver

was talking to me and at the moment, I thought he was insulting me, but now that I look back, I

realize he was just joking around. He was really understanding yet very honest about how I was

acting towards him." Bonnie was simply nodding in agreement trying to soak in the information

her daughter was telling her. "He's somewhat like Nick because he's that true and loyal, but

he's a bit more of an introvert and he's smart but more serious on how he handles some things.

Don't get me wrong, Nick's an _amazing_ friend, but we never really felt that type of connection.

Silver is just really that great. As for the other questions, I haven't had the time to ask him

because we both have been busy with this case." "Mhm. Well, when you two _aren't_ busy, you

might want to ask him those then. From what I've seen, he's really a great mate for you. No

matter how far you go with him, remember that you have a family that loves you as well."

Bonnie responded, as Judy wrapped her mom in a bear-hug to affirm that she did love her

family and that they loved her back. After that, the two broke from their embrace and went into

Whirley's house to investigate further into the Sucrase mystery.

 _Meanwhile, in the opposite direction…_

At the same time Judy and Bonnie were discussing things on their way to Whirley's, Silver and

Stu were having a somewhat similar discussion on their way to the City Hall. "Silver, correct me

if I'm wrong, but do you know that much about children?" Silver looked at the farm rabbit in a

state of utter confusion. Stu saw the confusion on his face and attempted to clarify things. "I

mean, have you ever had experience taking care of them?" Silver thought about this for a

second. On some of his adventures with Sonic he had to watch some kids at an orphanage

while Sonic fought battles, so he was wondering if that would count. "Would just watching kids

for the day while their parents are gone count?" Silver asked. Stu nodded and then added "I

just wanted to know what experience you had." "Look, I understand you want to get to know me

better, but the questions you asked me in the last few minutes were 'Have you ever had kids?',

'What is your family life like?' and now 'Do you have experience with kids?' I mean no

disrespect Mr. Hopps" Before Silver went on with that sentence, Stu raised his hand to interrupt

him. "I know you don't mean any disrespect, and please call me Stu." "Ok Stu. All I want to

know is why you're asking me _these_ types of questions." Silver asked. Stu took a deep breath

and then finally spoke. "Ok, so Judy, my little girl, told me that she loves you." Now to say that

Silver had a confused look on his face might be a little inaccurate. Shocked may have been a

more appropriate term. He noticed that Judy treated him with extra special attention and favor.

He never seemed to figure out why though. Now he knew. "So that's why Judy's been acting a

little bit…" "Strange?" Stu said, finishing Silver's sentence. "Yeah." Silver replied. "So, do you

love her back?" "Well, she's a great friend, but romantically…" He was interrupted by Stu

again. "Uh uh. I asked 'do you love her?'" Silver's mind was producing some morse code

language, but instead of dots and dashes, it was producing question marks and exclamation

points. "Look sir, I don't understand where you're getting at." Stu knew that sometimes people

had a tough time understanding what he meant sometimes, so he was patient with Silver.

"Silver, love doesn't store itself in separate compartments like it's alright over here but sloppy in

this other area. If you truly love someone, you don't have to be in a romantic relationship to love

someone." Silver nodded his head, now understanding what the farmer had to say. "I get

where you're confused though. When people say 'love' they usually think of romance, but that

doesn't always necessarily have to mean that. It could simply mean being kind to someone or

being honest no matter what or even walking a buddy across the street." Silver realized that the

last example was referring to what he was doing right now and smiled a contented smile.

"Speaking of which Silver, Judy did say something about being in love with you, now that's a

term used for romance, right?" Silver paused for a moment. He knew that what he would say

next would determine where this conversation would go. He also knew Stu was right about

love, but he wanted to make sure he said what he wanted to say without sounding like a

blundering idiot. He took a deep breath to calm himself and finally explained what was going

on. "Judy has proven herself to be a great friend. She's energetic, optimistic and she is really

fun to be around. I'll love her no matter what in regard of what you told me about love.

Admittedly, I've never considered her as a romantic partner and that is something I want to ask

her to make more clear for me because, to be honest, why me? She deserves so much better

than me. Who's this prince she wants anyway?" Stu smiled at Silver's noble heart, knelt, and

said, "Maybe she doesn't want a prince. Maybe she just wants you." Silver smiled at the

apparent wisdom this farming bunny seemed to possess. "Stay true to her Silver, and no matter

whether you want to start a more romantic relationship or not, always keep loving her." Silver

nodded and then continued walking with his new friend as he finally saw several puzzle pieces

finally come together in his head. The puzzle that was Judy Hopps.

 _Ok guys, really sorry about the wait. I recently advised a fellow writer to "sort the big rocks first and all the pebbles will follow through." I figured it was time to take my own advice and actually start taking care of the more important details of my life first and then everything else will just fall into place. I_ will _still keep working on the Fanfic though so don't worry. It just might mean it would either take a little longer to update or I would have to make changes to my original ideas. This time it was both. I originally planned on the next 3 chapters being about Silver and Judy, but I see now it would have to be extended to 4 to provide better detail. Also, Sonic and Gazelle's confrontation will be in the next chapter for those of you who have been thinking I've forgotten about that. Anyhow, thanks for following and reading and I'll see you next time. (Mousa Lisa is a twist off of the Mona Lisa painting. Any unoriginal material is used for entertainment and educational purposes only.) See you next time. Bye._


	16. Chapter 13: Rise Only to Fall

_Hey everyone. So it looks like some of you are a little confused about some things in my last chapter. Well, I'll answer all of that_ after _this chapter, but for now, let's continue._

 _Any unoriginal content is used for entertainment and educational purposes only._

LITO Chapter 13

Rise Only to Fall…

After some time, the quartet of Silver, Judy and Mr. and Mrs. Hopps finally met at the town's

central square, which was made obvious by a skyscraper that was shaped like a B for

Bunnyborrow. "So, what did you guys find out?" Stu asked Judy and Bonnie. The two were

trying to figure out who should tell the information to who. Bonnie finally agreed to let Judy do

the explaining. "It turns out we were right. That garbage wolf was a Sucrose guy in disguise.

Once we went to the doctor to check out the vial, they confirmed that it was made of 60% of the

recycled material used for old sugar containers." "But how were they able to get their poison in

there? If it were pills…" Silver started, "Then the poison must have been in those capsules to

poison Whirley!" both Silver and Judy shouted in unison, which somewhat startled the elder

Hopps. After they made their realization, they turned around to see Judy's parents whispering

some random thoughts to each other. "Wonder what they're talking about?" Silver whispered

into Judy's ear. "I don't know Silver, but I hope it's not too embarrassing." Judy replied. Neither

one of them had to wait long for an answer. "Hey Judy, before we get back home, there's some

business I need to take care of at the County Fairgrounds." Stu called out, Bonnie then hopped

Over to the two that were bewildered at why there needed to be _more_ business during their stay.

She then explained to them that he was entering some of his famous crops for the contests at

the fair this year and needed to go over some entry forms. "Alright. We don't know if any of

those Sucrase nuts are gonna be here or not." Silver was debating what to do about this

situation. If he took Judy home, Mr. and Mrs. Hopps would have the potential of being attacked

if Sucrase were to show up; on the other hand, if Judy went back alone, then _she_ could be

attacked. "Hey Silver, I'm fine with heading over with my mom and dad. You can head back if

you want." Judy was suggesting something to Silver that he found rather uncomfortable. "No. I

wouldn't want to put you in harm's way. Especially if…" Silver was being interrupted by Judy

this time, instead of the usual vice-versa. "No, don't worry about me. You're fine on your own

and you can have some wonderful adventure while you're gone. We can meet back at the farm

and discuss our next course of action." What Silver didn't know was that his floppy-eared friend

was testing him. She wanted to test his integrity to see if he would do the right thing, no matter

the circumstances. Sometimes making choices like this look hard, but are really easy because

you know what to do. Like whether you should join the crowd even though they're doing

something wrong or just stand alone and do the right thing despite the ridicule. Other choices

like that look hard and _are_ that hard because you don't know what choice would be better.

Save the few or save the many. "Judy, I'm not worried about me, ok? I'm a more

worried about you than I am about me. But…" Silver paused for a second to give himself a

breath, then looked down shamefully. "... I don't know what to do, alright." Judy smiled. He

passed her test and she known it. She waited for a few minutes to see if Silver had anything

else to say. "If I leave, you guys will probably be attacked. If I stay, what would happen to your

family? I'm sorry, I just don't know what to do. Do you have any ideas?" All Judy wanted to find

out was if he was humble enough to accept help when he needed it instead of trying to take it all

on himself. Just like she told her parents before leaving for Zootopia, she had known a lot of

bunnies that were jerks. Some were purposely trying to be jerks (like bully-turned-friend Gideon

Grey); while most of the jerks happened to be the ones she was trying to help. When most of

the bunnies were faced with dilemmas similar to Silver's, she would offer to help, but they rudely

declined out of pride, ignorance, or simply put; fear. Fear of how others would view them if they

discovered they had been struggling with major problems (such as bullying) or small (such as

losing your keys after you told everyone you have a steel-trap memory.) She had a

tough-skinned exterior (as far as bunnies went) but the impact of the blows still dented (but

didn't destroy) her heart. She was hoping that Silver wasn't that type of a jerk, so she decided

to test him to see if he would do the right thing, even if it meant asking for help every once in a

while. Happy that he passed her test, but also sympathetic for her friend, she wrapped him up

in a soft hug. "I know Silver, and it's ok. If you want to, you can just come with us. There's no

dishonor in either which way. Besides," Judy said, releasing her hug and giving him a wink, "I

could use a friend's company right about now."

 _Ok, I think you're all tired of this mumbo-jumbo, so let's skip ahead straight to when they hit the fairgrounds._

Ok, they didn't literally hit the fairgrounds, but you get the idea. Right before they got in,

an equipment manager was trying to finagle with some equipment. "Hey, could one of you help

me flip that switch over there? I'd turn it on myself, but my hands are cramped from trying to get

this all set up." "Get what all set up?" Silver asked, in curiosity. "The stuff for the fair silly. He's

going to test out some equipment for the fairground to see if it's working for tomorrow's grand

opening." Stu explained. "Hey you there!" the manager said, pointing towards Judy. "Look, I

normally wouldn't ask this of anybody, but you're hands are small enough to get in there in case

anything doesn't work, are you ok with that?" Judy nodded, then hopped onto a ladder which

she climbed up to the top of a tall control tower. "You alright with this?" the elderly bunny's

voice sounded somewhat familiar to Judy, but she decided to ask him that question later.

"Alright, let's do this." Judy flipped the tiny red switch that immediately illuminated the entire

fairground, which included the lights for the ferris-wheel, a humongous roller-coaster, the

snack-shack, high-speed bumper-cars, classic fairground games and a whole lot more, but

it was Judy who was the most illuminated because at the exact moment when she

flipped the switch, practically the whole town leapt out from various hiding places and loudly

yelled out, "SURPRISE!"

 _Best Time of My Life by Weekend Giants starts_

"What?!" Judy shouted in a happy state of disbelief. "What's going on here?!" Judy knew it

wasn't her birthday because that was going to be a couple of days from now. Luckily, a bunny

with a sharp black tuxedo walked regally up to a box and stood up on it and breathed into a

microphone on a stand.

 _Music Pauses_

"Testing, testing, is this on?" the formally dress rabbit spoke, testing the

sound. "Judy Hopps, as the Mayor of Bunnyborrow, let me be the first to say, not only for

myself, but for all of us here, when you set out to do what you did, everyone thought that it was

an impossible task." the Mayor inhaled to give his lungs a break and also to figure out what else

to exactly say. "But you are no ordinary bunny. You helped us realize that if we try hard and

give it all we got, then we can be more than we have ever aspired." Judy was crying again, but

this time, tears of joy. She always knew her town was the perfect place for her to call home, but

she wasn't expecting this much in return for heroics. She could care less whether her actions

were seen by few or by many. She just wanted to serve and protect, because that was a natural

part of her. She may not have needed to go all the way to Zootopia to do it, but she wanted to

prove to everybody that nothing is impossible with hard work and determination. "And now, it's

high time we paid you back." the mayor said, concluding his speech. "Judy, is there anything

you want to say before we get started here?" Judy turned around to see that the bunny behind

her that was wearing janitor clothes was no longer wearing janitor clothes. In fact, he had a

regal tux on and was handing a microphone to her. "Jack Savage?!" Judy whispered to him in

surprise. "What can I say? You deserve this. Now go get 'em." Judy then snatched the

Microphone from Jack's paws and was in a bit of a nervous flutter. "Hi everybody. Did you all

do this for me?" Judy asked, and the response were a crowd of millions cheering in affirmation.

Judy searched the crowd to spot some familiar faces. Old Whirley was able to show up, as well

as Gideon Grey, who was waving at her from somewhere in the rear section of the audience.

Judy waved back at him and tried to find her parents. They were an easy find as they were right

in the front row. She also saw Silver quietly clapping along and flashing a thumbs-up sign.

Judy wished that he was up there with her, but knowing that they all wanted some fair fun, she

decided to briefly wrap it up. "Wow, I just want to say thank you so much for what you've done.

I'll probably talk later, but for now, I don't know about you, but you all wanna have some fun?"

The crowd responded in an uproar. "Alright then, let's all have some fun." Judy finished, as

Jack escorted her down the ladder.

 _On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons plays from the chorus_

Silver finally grabbed her hand when she hopped down from the final step and she was running

towards a roller-coaster. Silver knew that today, from the city's appreciation and his own, was

all about Judy. He knew that she was really wanting to share some good quality time with her

friend aside from the case and he was also wanting to spend some time getting to know Judy

better before being her boyfriend anyway, so he decided to take this opportunity and let Judy

drag him wherever she suggested. "So, the roller-coaster first, huh?" Silver asked Judy, who

immediately stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Sliver. "Do you mind?" she asked. "I

don't mind at all. This is your day pal, go on and enjoy yourself." he agreed, then she

continued to drag her friend along.

 _Timeskip after the roller-coaster…_

"Whew, that was a fun ride. What did you think Silver?" Judy asked, evidently thrilled about the

high-speed ride she and her friend were just on. "Well, I didn't expect the rapid high turns like

that. I almost fell off the ride when putting my hands up if not a certain cop saved my life."

Silver quipped back. While he wasn't as quippy as Sonic, he had been around him long enough

to learn how to say very witty things in the right situation. Judy smiled at the well-used quip.

"Well, I wouldn't have had to if a certain white hedgehog had held onto the handlebar." Silver

questioned whether that was a tease or a full-out blow, but after he saw Judy wink at him, he

knew that it was alright. "Alright officer, please don't throw me in jail." Silver continued, on his

knees, pretending to be a desperate criminal. Judy stroked her fingers across her chin and

rapidly thumped her foot, pretending to think hardly about the matter. "You know what would

pay that off nicely?" Judy finally asked. Silver was about to respond, but Judy was already

moving Silver's arms so that they would be around her. "If you held me in your arms like this,"

then Judy proceeded to hop up with her legs and use her hands to pull herself up towards

Silver's head and used her ears to cover Silver's eyes. "closed your eyes like this," she

continued, then planted a small kiss on his cheek. "and let me give you one of these." Judy

finished the little tease as she uncovered Silver's eyes, hopped off of him and waited for his

reaction. Judy knew that that _may_ have been too subtle of a way to tell him her feelings, but

she was hoping that until she had the courage to tell him herself or vice-versa, then that would

have to do. "Well, that may have been a little too much, but at least it was worth the price."

Silver said, finishing that series of quips, then he turned to face Judy again. "Seriously though,

thank you so much for saving me." "It's what friends do for each other." Judy responded with a

smile, as the two continued their carnival adventure.

 _Music stops_ … _Timeskip._

It was nearing 7 p.m. (The time Judy and the mayor agreed she'd give her second speech) and

Judy was feeling a combination of excitement and nerves. Excitement because she and Silver

had a blast the whole day. From riding the ferris wheel, to playing a basketball shoot (which

Silver won, but decided to let Judy pick and keep the prize which happened to be a small

basketball) to competing at a popgun shooting gallery (Judy won, but gave Silver a small plush

rabbit. She offered to let him choose, but he let Judy pick his prize. She didn't disappoint.) to

walking around in a maze of mirrors. (Luckily, they finished that one in time to get back to the

center of Carnival Square) She had an extremely fun time with her new friend, but she was also

nervous about what was going to happen. She knew that this was the town's way of repaying

her for the work she did as a cop and being an inspiration to future generations; but she didn't

feel like they needed to repay her. "Oh boy, I'm so jumpy right now I can hardly think right now.

I really don't deserve all of this right now. How do I look? What should I say? Silver, do you

think I'm… Whoa!" Judy was talking so swiftly and was jumping around so energetically that

she almost dropped the elephant ear she was eating which Silver grabbed as it was about to hit

the ground. (It was a _doughy, sugary, cinnamony_ elephant ear guys. This is _Zootopia_.Do you

really think a bunny can go savage here?) "Listen, calm down right now, ok, just breathe."

Silver said, which worked as a successful attempt to calm her down as Judy was taking deep

breaths. "Judy, this is not just about you. This is bigger than you. Your whole community has

finally seen what Judy Hopps really is. They've known your heart for a while. They know that

they didn't _have_ to do this to please you, but they _wanted_ to because they are grateful to have

such a friend along with them. And I'm grateful too." Judy herself felt grateful. Grateful for a

friend's company, advice and loyalty. She smiled, and could only hope that _she_ would be able

to give him the amount of loyalty that she had seen in him. Just then, they heard a low pitched

boom that animated from the microphone the mayor was testing. Silver looked at his

smartwatch, which read 7 p.m, and then both Judy and Silver looked at a large object veiled by

a slightly larger royal red veil. "What do you think _that_ is?" Silver asked Judy in curiousity.

He didn't need to wait for an answer as the Mayor finally fixed the mic and started to speak.

"Welcome everybody, to two of the greatest events in our town's history. The grand opening of

the annual Bunnyborrow Carnival and a special Dedication Day to our very own Judy Hopps."

The whole audience applauded as Judy hopped up onto the much bigger platform now.

Carnival Square was a giant grassy knoll that was the epicenter of the carnival that had space

big enough to host concerts (as evidenced by the big podium.) The stage had nothing behind it,

so concerts were purely outdoor. "Judy, we know that, as a citizen here, you may not exactly

 _need_ all of this to be happy, but we want to show you our utmost gratitude. You have been an

inspiration to us all; past, present and future." The mayor then held a remote control in his paw

that had a singular red button. "I hope you wouldn't mind accepting one more token of

appreciation from us." the mayor pushed the button which released the blanket which involved

a giant statue of Judy clad in a full-clad police uniform with her reaching out holding a

golden-carrot pen in her left hand as if to record something. The statue's eyes looked like they

were extra polished, as if they could actually see the town and beyond. The ears were

erect and upright as if they were two satellites hearing and retrieving information from the

crowd. The last thing Judy noticed while the applause slowly died down was the smile. It

wasn't an awkward goofy smile, but the smile had it's mouth closed to give the impression that

the statue was not too serious yet still committed to its job. Just like Judy. "You've become

more than a hero to us Judy, you've become an icon. A heroic icon. Which is why we created

this statue, so that those who come to visit us and the next generation will see and remember

the hero you truly are." Everyone applauded the mayor's speech, but the applause grew louder

as the real Judy Hopps stepped up to the mic and received a standing ovation. She smiled in

confidence and soaked up the adoration for a few minutes before raising and lowering her hand

to quiet down the crowd. "Wow. What can I say right now? This is so much more than I

deserve and…" Judy teared up at the thought of all the town being so kind and compassionate

towards her. "...whatever I have done to deserve this, I might not even know. Even while I'm on

a case...This town; my home. You've still opened the doors for me. Thank you." Everybody

cheered at the wonderful opening, including Silver, but he wasn't too obvious because he was in

the back of the crowd this time. Well, somebody noticed him. "Hey you!" Silver turned around

to see the same hipster rabbit that was messing with him earlier at the farm. "Who me?" Silver

whispered, as not to disturb the speech. "Yes you, come over here with me." the rabbit pointed

to a small oak tree that was right in front of him. Silver nodded and walked towards the tree to

meet up with the hipster, who was sucking on a sucker. "What do you…" Silver was about to

ask, but before he could finish, the bunny drew out a dagger with a 16 inch blade and got into a

fighting stance. "What do you want with my sister you joke?" the bunny whispered in a tough

gruff voice. Silver was confused and taken aback by this sudden act of defense. "What do you

mean?" Silver asked, trying to figure out if his motive was to attack or if he was doing this out of

fear. "You know what I mean joke, you pop up right in the worst time possible, you try to woo off

my sister and now my old rab tells me that she actually _wants_ a guy like you? I don't know what

you want with her or why, but just because I'm the only adopted one in the family, doesn't mean

my input means nuthin." Then, it hit Silver. This was why he was suspicious of him. He was

adopted, and when he saw his sister with a stranger, he didn't know whether he was being

dangerous or friendly. "Listen sir, I don't know who you are, but I don't want to hurt you or your

family." "My name's Dirk" the hipster bunny replied as he continued to maintain his defensive

posture. "and you are gonna pay for crossing paths with my sister like that!" Upon those

words, Dirk made a running attack to try to run Silver through; but Silver unconsciously used his

telekinesis to jump out of the way of the attack, that's when he turned around to see a perfect

bird's eye view picture of horror. He saw the Hopp's farm, Judy's home, being set on fire by a

pack of four wolves, then he quickly did a 360 to take a look at the rest of the town. The wolves

have divided themselves into groups of four to take over towns in Bunnyborrow and little by

little, their plan was succeeding with no firefighters or cops in sight. Ok, there were a few that

stayed behind, but the majority of them came to listen to Judy's speech. Silver looked angrily

over the seemingly unaware and apathetic crowd. He knew that Judy's achievement was

important to them, but if Bunnyborrow was to survive, Silver needed all hands on deck. Just

then, he realized something. He used his telekinesis to pick up the rabbit and seemingly choke

him. "Were you aware of this?" Silver asked Dirk, with a menacing angry look. Dirk was taken

aback with fear and shock. "How did you know?" the rabbit asked in fear. "Oh, let's just say

that while you were figuratively bugging me, I was _literally_ bugging _you_!" Silver used the

telekinesis to pluck off a small homing device off of the rabbit's jacket and replayed the nailing

segment. " _Oh I'll find that Mobian, and when I kill him, all will bow before the Ring!"_ "The Ring

is the clan, isn't it?!" Silver demanded as his demeanor was getting angrier by the minute and

Dirk was getting every ounce of life choked out of him, while having enough strength to nod his

head. Silver saw a nearby open police trunk and two cops just sitting next to it. It was then that

he had an idea that could save them all. "Well then, looks like the joke's on you jokey." Silver

snarled as he hurled Dirk, who skipped across the audience catching everyone's attention and

landed into the trunk which slammed shut. One of the officers, a brown rabbit opened the trunk

to see Dirk laying shaking in the back. It was at that same time his colleague, a black-and-white

spotted rabbit caught a flying homing device that just hit play and played Dirk's entire

confession. The two cops turned towards Dirk and asked him if he was the one that threatened

to kill Silver, he fearfully nodded and the two cops drove Dirk away to prison. The audience that

saw that (including Judy) were equally surprised when they felt some gigantic force lift them all

up from the ground. They were all turned by the force to see Silver being the one behind this.

Judy wasn't confused, or afraid, or shocked, or startled; but just let Silver announce what he

needed to say. "Sorry to interrupt the speech Judy, but if you could all look right here…" he

turned the crowd towards the destruction that Sucrase, now identified as a terrorist organization

entitled The Ring, was causing to their town minute by minute. "Yes, I know that this is all scary,

I know that you all are shocked at the site and I apologize to all of you for allowing this to

happen," Judy's eyes were focused on her friend, who seemed to carry a guilty conscience

around him. " _No Silver, please don't blame yourself._ " she thought internally as the speech

continued. "But what is important now is that now that we know what is happening, we must

choose. This might be Judy's day, but this is _your_ moment, your choice. Are you willing to just

let your homes, your businesses and your families suffer at the hands of this Ring of Terror?"

everyone started chanting in an uproar in approval of what Silver was saying. Silver eyed

everyone and everyone was either grabbing knives, clenching fists, smiling in approval; but out

of all the faces, the most evident was Judy's passionate purple eyes, her close-mouthed smile

and her sticking a thumbs up. That, to Silver, was more beautiful than a golden statue anyday.

"Alright then, I can only throw some things so far, so I'll throw the firefighters first" he said,

grabbing the firefighters, knowing that the most important thing was to first stop the fires

throughout the town "I'll divide the rest of you into groups of seven. Even though there seems to

be very few attacking each store, they have plenty of reserves that would be coming. Fight

hard, fight well and remember what you're fighting for!" Silver shouted, as he divided everyone

into groups of seven and hurled them all closer to the town square. " _Where's Sonic when you_

 _need him?"_ he asked himself as he was putting all his reserved energy to get to the Hopps

Farm.

 _Funny you should mention that Silver…_

Gazelle stood next to Sonic's guest room door and knocked very politely. She was wondering

what caused her friend to act so strangely and unlike himself. His happy-go-lucky demeanor

was replaced that day by a somewhat depressed, moody demeanor that seemed to make

Gazelle wonder what was the matter with him, but all of her attempts at finding out were met

with apathetic sighed "It's fine." Gazelle knocked at the door "Sonic, are you in…" Gazelle

barely tapped the door to discover that Sonic was no longer in the room. In fact, you can barely

see any evidence of him being there. Everything was cleaned up and back to normal. She was

wondering what had happened, when she noticed a black Zoogle touchscreen on what was his

bed with a yellow sticky note attached to it. Gazelle picked up the active phone and tore the

sticky off to read what was on there. "Don't make promises you can't keep. :-(" read the

message. Gazelle had a gut feeling she knew what the note meant, but to verify, she woke up

the phone from sleep and sure enough, every second of Gazelle's conversation with Justin last

night had been caught, and the worst part was, she had seen _exactly_ where her intentions left

her. After seeing the video, tears welled up in her eyes and she knelt down on the floor near the

bed and cried, holding nothing in. She thought that by letting Sonic go free, she would help him;

but now she saw that all she did was helping herself. He was her friend and her ally, and she

was planning on explaining her feelings of how grateful she was to have him; but now, her

friendship, just like her heart, were shattered glass.

 _Alright, you all can tell I was pretty excited to write this one, I spent a lot of time on this and I hope you all enjoyed it. First off, the logic behind Sonic's age in this story is that he is 25, since Sonic in the gaming world is in his 25th anniversary, and that lead me to make Gazelle in my story 24. Silver is 22 in this tale and Tails is 25 just like Sonic. More about the age of the Sonic characters are will be told in my sequel, "The Project." Also, this chapter is Part One of a two-part chapter series called "Darkest Before the Dawn" and the reason I called this chapter "Rise Only to Fall…" is because I want to convey that in this point of the story, things start out great, everything is looking up, but at the end of the beginning we go harshly and sharply downhill from there. But as the next chapter "Fall Only to Rise" will show, in the midst of chaos, there is always hope; that hope will prevail over al darkness, and that the night is always Darkest Before the Dawn. Well, that's it for now. After part 2, I'm planning on doing 2 flipside chapters conveying an important point in time for Judy and Silver's story and that release date is currently TBD. Any unoriginal content is used for entertainment and educational purposes only. Until next time, bye._


	17. Chapter 14: Fall Only to Rise

_Hey everybody, I really hope you've been enjoying your journey through Love In The Open so far. It has come to my attention that some of you were getting bored with the Judy and Silver storyline, so you'd be pleased to see more of Gazelle's story here. Then, it would be Darkest Before the Dawn as you'll see._

 _Any unoriginal content serves as educational and entertainment purposes only._

Love In The Open: Chapter 14

Fall Only to Rise

After Gazelle briefly cried for a bit, she knew she had to self-analyze her situation. Sonic,

although not the most famous or popular (when it comes to Zootopia anyways) he had a pretty

good heart in his chest and a great head on his shoulders. She knew that he was constantly

trying to prove himself to her each day. She didn't want Sonic to feel like he had to 1-up every

single accomplishment he had ever completed just to make her happy; but then again, she

realized that maybe that was his way of showing how much he cared about her. She got up

from the guest room and started to walk to the kitchen to make herself a glass of chocolate milk,

but as she left, she felt as if some part of herself was missing. Her self-confidence, her integrity

seemed to slowly vanish when Justin entered the scene. She knew that Justin _also_ had things

to prove, but unlike Sonic, he didn't feel as big of a chip on his shoulder to prove anything.

Gazelle assumed that this was probably because he knew her longer than Sonic, and she was

correct; but as she was stirring the drink, she thought "I haven't been playing favorites, have I?"

She wanted to prove to Justin that there was room for both him and Sonic in her heart, but now

it seemed that by trying to prove it to Justin, she showed no evidence of it to Sonic. Sonic

wasn't a guy who needed more, he didn't seem to mind that Justin shared the same space.

She thought back to that first time she picked him up after saving her life at the concert. Sonic

wasn't exactly being dishonest about his first time in Zootopia, but as she looked back and

attempted to put herself in Sonic's position, she realized that she would also want to "try

everything" to prove her value to the residents she would be staying with. "Sonic wasn't trying

to be dishonest about his hardships." she stated, then she walked over to a cracked old

painting her mother had given her as a

parting gift when she left for college and started grabbing a paint, pallette and brush and started

to paint beautiful colors over where there were cracks. "He was trying to cover the cracks. He

didn't want me to see him as a broken masterpiece, he wanted me to see him as…" As Gazelle

was about to say the final words, she heard Justin walk up to her. "Hey 'Zelle, two things real

quick. First, I'm sorry things didn't go well with blur, I didn't know he was gonna be hurt by that.

And second, I'm afraid I'll have to cut my stay short, there's a record company that finally wants

to sign me." Justin said in a rush as he was running around the mansion trying to collect his

things. "Wait, where is this at?" Gazelle asked, trying to fully understand what was happening.

"It's a record studio in Cariboumuda called Hot Kokomo Records." "The same one that The

Muskratts are part of?" Gazelle said rapidly to try and slow down her friend. The Muskratts

were a quintet of best friends Justin and Gazelle were both friends with in high school and were

some of Gazelle's closest friends in college who later fulfilled their dream of becoming a band by

signing a label with Hot Kokomo Records. Since then, they weren't extremely famous or

popular like Gazelle, but they were still a hit band in Zootopia. "Yep, the same one 'Zelle. I

gotta be at a meeting tonight in order to get the record done, so I gotta catch the train before

traffic…" Justin was rambling so fast that he sounded like he drank _way_ too many cups of

coffee, but he didn't. "Justin!" Gazelle calling his name caused Justin to stop for a second and

turn around. "Yes 'Zelle?" "What about us? Do you think we'll still be friends?" Justin sensed

the nervousness and uncertainty in his friend's quaking voice but he also knew that he had to

catch that train. "I think we already are." Justin said as he gave Gazelle a brief hug and ran out

the golden mansion doors. She ran out the doors just in time to see a yellow taxi take her friend

away towards the train station. She felt as if she had no one to turn to now, so she started her

mental path back from where it came from. She wished she could have a few extra seconds

with Justin before he left, but that was quickly erased. "What would Sonic have done in that

situation?" she asked, trying to see Sonic in Justin's shoes. She looked back to when Sonic

was lifting her spirit and warming her heart in the mall.

 _Flashback: Pheonicia Shopping Mall_

" _Yep, even though my quest isn't over yet, she has definitely been a huge help to me." Gazelle_

 _recalled the moment as if she was there again, this time trying to observe if there's anything_

 _fake or hidden inside this statement. She was looking at Sonic explaining this to Tails and Silver_

 _and saw no sign of artificial truth, in fact, this was the most natural she remembered seeing him._

" _She has definitely become my Zootopia bffl. And hey, even if I found my purpose right now, I_

 _wouldn't mind sticking around just to at least get her interdimensional Tweeter before I left." She_

 _was amazed at how much honesty and natural wording she noticed in Sonic that day. It_

 _seemed that every one of the other days Sonic was with her, he was either trying to spare her_

 _the struggle of his life or trying to_ act _natural and open up, but in that moment, it seemed he was_

 _most himself. "A lot of people see her for how beautiful she is, but I see her for how beautiful for_

 _how beautiful she is on the inside._ That _is beauty to me."_

 _End of Flashback_

She smiled at that memory because it was the happiest time she ever had around anyone, but

then she became forlorn when she realized she didn't feel that beautiful. "Oh Sonic, what have I

done?" She asked in a smooth sad voice as tears started to well up again. It wasn't long

though that she was so mentally exhausted, that she collapsed and went into a deep sleep.

 _Dream Scene: Green Hill Zone_

 _Gazelle wasn't herself in this dream. Well, she was still herself, but this time, she was watching_

 _herself in the dream. Kind of like watching herself on TV._

 _She watched as the Gazelle in the dream was flying a kite with Sonic on a_

 _grassy area and that image was quickly replaced by the two having a nice picnic on top of a hill._

 _She smiled because she knew that would be a beautiful memory. She was actually watching_

 _the Gazelle before actually tell some secrets to the blue blur and saw Sonic whisper some_

 _things into her ear as well. She was trying to figure out what was going on, so she walked_

 _closer to them. She then heard the Gazelle say something to Sonic. "You know, I really think_

 _that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me." Gazelle was wondering why she_

 _was saying such things to the blur, who seemed to be unphased by that comment. "Are you_

 _sure that it's not because_ you _are the best thing that's happened to me?" Sonic stated, with a_

 _twinkle in his eye. Gazelle laughed at the scene, thinking that was something Sonic would say._

 _The two then embraced and looked like they were about to kiss, when all of the sudden, the_

 _scene shattered like glass as a new scene appeared._

 _Down In Flames by Matthew Parker plays._

 _In place of the lush grassy picnic area, it was a dark night and it almost seemed like a lot of the_

 _zone lost its beauty. Almost as if all of it was scorched. Not burned, not destroyed, but painfully_

 _scorched. It wasn't only the scenery that appeared harmed. "Why didn't you tell me you didn't_

 _want me?" Sonic asked, looking a little scared of this new version of Gazelle the real one was_

 _seeing. "You foolish hedgehog, do you think there's not room for both of us?!" Gazelle_

 _observed this new copy being visibly ticked off at her new friend. "Justin needs to see that I can_

 _be more than happy with both of you, there's no need to be jealous." This image was obviously_

 _getting scary even for the real Gazelle who was watching this. She had never seen herself_

 _being this defensive towards anybody in her whole life. "I understand that Gazelle, but I also_

 _know that you have been struggling with something else lately. If you could just tell me…"_

" _No!" Gazelle watched in horror as she saw her character snarl in such a bitter and angry tone_

 _to a friend so kind and generous. Is this the way that this scene was going to end? She also_

 _noticed that her character now had a set of paws like a wolf. "I am so sick and tired of you_

 _always having to hang on me like another piece of baggage! You have been slowing_ my

 _progress down, been taking up way too much of_ my _time and someone as weak and pitiful as_

 _you are does_ not _deserve to be in my presence!" Gazelle watched in fright as the mystery_

 _became a horror show as her character was starting to appear more and more wolflike with_

 _every nasty word she spoke. "But, have you forgotten everything we enjoyed together-" Sonic_

 _started, but was rudely interrupted again._

" _That time has passed! That ship has sailed!"_

 _Gazelle (the real one) felt something itching crawling her arms, so she felt to see what it was,_

 _and surprisingly enough, she stopped looking at the scene for a second as she discovered that_

 _wolf-like features were starting to develop on her as well. Her hooves slowly materialized into_

 _claws and thick wolf fur growing on her arms, she also saw her legs become more bulky and_

 _clawed as well. Then, she heard something from the scene. "Hey 'Zelle, when I told you to tell_

 _him to get out, I told you to do it honestly, remember?" She looked at the scene and saw Justin_

 _coming next to Gazelle's character in this movie-esque scene, either to counsel her or to_

 _antagonize her. "The reason you want him leaving is because_ he _needs to solve his own_

 _problem. You don't need to concern yourself with his business because you have your own_

 _problems to deal with." "Gazelle, are you really going to conform to this guy?" Sonic stated_

 _boldly. "Conforming myself? Is that what I'm doing?" Gazelle asked, as she saw more wolf_

 _features slowly add onto her body until her entire body complexion switched from one of humble_

 _prey to vicious predator. From gazelle to wolf. Now both Gazelle characters, the one watching_

 _the scene and the one in the scene both started to howl loudly._

 _Dream Ends. Song Ends._

The howling in the dream was loud enough to startle Gazelle out of her dream and wake her

back up to reality. She looked at her body. Yep, she's still a Gazelle, not a wolf. She thought

back towards that dream, but then also thought about that time Justin broke up with her in high

school and compared it to what she had done to Sonic before he left. Justin was being very

kind and considerate before breaking her the bad news, especially when he was hanging

around bad company as of late; Gazelle did the same thing, trying to be nice to Sonic before

telling her, but she wasn't being around any bad influences. Justin also _told_ her in

a nice way, but the words themselves stung because of what they meant. But she also realized

some differences as well between the two. Unlike Gazelle, Sonic was smart enough to see past

the petty facade, figure out what was going on and leave. She also realized that unlike Justin,

who was hanging out with the wrong crowd, Gazelle was hanging with… Justin?! "Wait a

minute, how is that different?" Gazelle said, thinking out loud sitting at her kitchen table still.

"Justin was receiving bad advice that lead him astray during high school, so how do I know that

I haven't been getting…" It was then that what Sonic said in the dream hit her like a quick

precise dart. _"Gazelle, are you really going to conform yourself to this guy?"_ It was then she

pieced it all together. The reason she was becoming a wolf in the dream was that her actions

were emulating Justin's actions rather than her own. It seemed that the more she was around

Justin, the more she felt that she had to _be_ like Justin in order to gain approval from him. "So

that's it. I don't want to lose his friendship, so I somehow feel like I have to be like him. Not

even be _like_ him, but be this carbon copy of him." She sighed deeply. "I've gotta get my life

back. But why is it that I have such a desire to be with Sonic? I mean, is that the same thing as

what I'm going through with Justin?" She reasoned. Then, she remembered another key player

in her life. One that she should have thought about asking for advice from to begin with. She

got out her smartphone and dialed up a number. "Hello Molly? I was wondering if you were

open today. I really need a friend right now."

 _Meanwhile, back in Bunnyborrow…_

Thanks to Silver's impressive organizational skills, the near 2 million bunnies were able to band

together and quickly shoo out the 1,000 wolves that came to attack Bunnyborrow. Judy had to

admit, she was impressed with Silver's abilities, but he would've remained her friend either

which way. She could've cared less that Silver was able to get to the house and save a majority

of it from burning down as the fire department was able to take care of the rest; all _she_ was

concerned about was _his_ shape. Silver was mentally worn out from the fight and tried to find

Judy. She easily found Silver panting from the fighting that needed to be done kneeling down

next to the remains of the Hopps farm. She hopped over to him as she saw him kneeling down

in agony and defeat; even though he was the one that lead them to victory. "Hey, don't feel bad.

You were amazing out there." She reaffirmed to her friend, tossing a smile in his direction.

Silver however, felt unphased. "This is all my fault. This would _never_ have happened if I had

been more alert." Silver said, with his head dropped to the ground. Judy was wondering what

was going through her friend's head that was causing him to feel guilty as she saw the ashes

and burnt wood that once composed the farm her family worked and lived in for so long. While

she cared greatly for her family and their protection, she cared deeply for her friend's

state-of-being. "If you weren't as alert as you were, we would all be destroyed today. And, well,

I already know that some Mobians have special powers, but Silver, none of this, the attacks, the

barn burning down, none of it was your fault. So quit acting like it is. Actions like yours, a heart

like yours...it just takes my breath away." Judy's compassionate words slowly made Silver smile

again. It eased his pain and suffering knowing that there was someone this compassionate

lifting him up. Even though she wasn't physically strong, her powerful heart moved and

impressed him all at the same time. Judy offered Silver her paw and he grabbed it getting back

up from kneeling. "Well, I'm glad to know that someone sees me that way. Thank you. I guess

I might need to make up for taking your day away too." Silver remembered that before the fire,

all of this was supposed to be a celebration for her from the town, but now that he diverted the

town away from it when the Ring attacked, this was no longer a celebration, but a disaster.

Judy put his paw in hers. "You wanna know what truly made my day?" There was no needing

to wait for Silver's response to her question. "Sure, fire away." "You really sure you wanna

know?" Judy asked, trying to up the ante to a highly wound Silver. "Yeah, I'm sure I wanna

know." Silver replied, now wondering what's going on here. "Ok ok." Judy relented, taking a

deep breath to calm herself down after she herself got excited from spending time with her

friend. "The best part of today, is that you were there to spend it with. I could care less if it was

the fair or the beach, or even if it was during a hurricane or where nothing is going my way. Just

having you with me, it's just so soothing and enjoyable just to be around you. I wouldn't trade

the last few days for anything." She was so happy, she decided not to resist the urge to leap

into his arms again. He caught her just in time as she was about to go for another peck when

her phone started vibrating. "I think that's for you Judes." Silver said, flipping out a new

nickname for her friend. He put her down and then she answered the phone. "Wow, I guess

that was another round for cult and country, huh?" the familiar smooth voice said on the other

end. "Oh hey Slick, what do you mean by 'for cult and country?'" Judy said, responding to

Nick's statement. "Those wolves aren't business at all Carrots. It turns out that those wolves

were actually members of a cult that started 1,000 years ago called The Clawed Ring or The

Ring for short. When the Ring started to form, it started as a small organization that only had a

few members. They believed that in order for a society to reach a perfect standard, they must

first rid themselves of the weak, hence why they attacked your hometown." "Wait Nick, how did

you know that exactly?" Judy asked rather frantically. "Well, I went into the museum and found

the plaque that the terrorists were under. I also found out that they were able to use fear to

force their followers into submission by threatening to use their strong natural force to destroy

what is most dear to them." Judy shook her head quickly and then corrected Nick. "No, I mean,

how did you know they would attack Bunnyborrow?" "Look to the skies Jude." Judy looked up

to see KZ fully clad in an armored police suit that was strong and light enough for him to fly in fly

over her head. She smiled, waving to KZ. "We just stopped about 30,000 of these

knuckleheads from taking over city central. We were able to arrest about half the force, but

about 15,000 escaped." "You arrested them just you and Nick?" Judy asked KZ. "Of course

not, we had help from ZPD and S.W.E.A.T. even though we won that battle, a lot of cops were

lost on both organizations. They really gave it their all so that Zootopia can be free from their

clutches." Judy and Silver felt a great sense of remorse at the fact that many brave cops were

more than willing to put career, job, family and even life itself on the line for animals that many of

these cops have never seen in their lives. Then, Silver remembered something else. "Where

did the rest of the Ring go?" Instead of KZ flying this time, Silver saw Tails fly down with his

twin-propeller tails and land right next to them. "Unfortunately that's the bad news." Tails

started. "Those guys were going to meet up with the thousand you fighted and by hacking into

the Ring's main computer, I discovered that the 1,000 that attacked you were only scouting you

to analyze strengths and weaknesses to see how many more they need to send." Tails finished

frantically. Silver saw the same concern in Judy's eyes that he had in himself, yet he chose not

to show it in order to not alarm Judy further. "How many are they sending out?" Silver asked in

an affirmative manner. "About 50,000 units, and with this type of an army, I don't think any

citizen would last that long." Just then, they all heard the Bunnyborrow citizens form a

defensive posture around the city as 81,000 wolves marched towards the cities entrance. "Hey,

by the way, if they show swords, that means they come in peace, if it's guns, then get everybody

out of there because it's war." KZ warned as he took to the sky again. They were lucky enough

to see one wolf that looked like the leader break rank from the group and unsheath a silver

sword from a scabbard then quickly put it back before the frightened citizens. "Calm yourselves.

My leader has observed that you are a formidable species, too formidable to let live. The

imperfections will soon be put to rest if you choose wisely." The wolf slowly paced himself in

between the pack and the group of rabbits. "If you shall join us, we can not only help you rise

beyond any imperfection the rest of the world has falsely assumed about you, but we can use

those imperfections to help rule and lord over those who have doubted you. _They_ will be the

ones lapping from _your_ paws, begging for even the smallest drop of water you can offer them."

After saying these things, he turned to the bunnies and pointed at them. "But if you shall resist

us, then everything you have ever established and known. From your buildings, to your

families, even your way of life itself will be left in a pile of ashes and you will be scraps of ash in

the wind and your blood is what will water our grass. You must choose and choose wisely. I'll

give you 1 minute. Go." He pushed a button on a stopwatch on a stopwatch as all the bunnies

discussed amongst themselves what to do. It's not that they couldn't make the right decision,

but they were paralyzed by fear. Fear of losing everything, and that fear gripped their minds

and their hearts and because of that, no one stepped up. Except 3. "This world is not your

playground, and we will not let you or anyone else lord over it out of fear of being destroyed."

Judy started as she, Silver and Tails stepped up to confront the wolf. "Our imperfections aren't

what make us weak, but through forgiving one another for our mistakes everyday, now that is

what makes us strong." Silver added. "15 seconds." said the wolf, looking at his watch. "We

will stand firm in what we know is right, despite our fear. United we stand, divided we die." Tails

finished. Just as Tails had finished, the three of them heard a chant shouted with boldness,

loyalty and courage that were fueled by the trio's words. "United We Stand. United We Stand.

Divided We Die. Divide We Die." the bunnies kept repeating holding hands in unity building a

wall to keep the intruders out. "Fine you fools!" the wolf spewed out in anger, "You're time is

already up. Time to…" the wolf started, until he looked up into the sky and saw a jet that was

blocking out the sun. Everybody looked up to the sky to hear music from loudspeakers on the

jet as it opened its exit hatch."

 _Undefeated by Tauren Wells starts to play._

" _Infinity and 0, Infinity and 0"_

The line kept repeating itself over and over as a hedgehog figure stepped onto the door and

held a golden microphone.

 _Music pauses_

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Sonic!" the figure shouted as he

jumped out spin-dashing out of the plane and spin-dashing into the pack of wolves.

 _Music resumes from the chorus_

Sonic used his blinding speed to take away the pack's weapons and he was using his speed

and the knife one by one to fatally wound and disarm the entire pack. "Alright Chief, you can

take them away now." Sonic said, flashing a thumb's up to the chief while holding a

walkie-talkie. The plane came down smoothly in front of the bunnies who were now cheering

Sonic on as he lead the plane down to the ground.

 _Timeskip… a minute later._

After several S.W.E.A.T and ZPD members helped fit the clan into several jets, Silver, Judy and

Tails gathered around their friend hugging him and each were wanting to ask a question of

some sort. "Ok all of you, one at a time please." Chief Bogo said, acting as Sonic's bodyguard.

Although the two were different, Sonic and Chief Bogo developed a strong friendship because

each of them wanted to keep Zootopia safe and each had the utmost respect for the other.

"Sonic, does this mean you found your purpose?" Tails asked. "Well, no. I was just wanting to

get out and stretch my legs…" Sonic started but was interrupted by the Chief. "You promised to

tell them the _truth_ Sonic. Before we took off, you promised you would tell them _everything_."

Bogo reminded him. "Alright guys, he's right. The real reason I came out to fight was that I just

needed to let off some steam after what Gazelle did to me last night." Sonic confessed with his

head lowered. "What did she do that ticked you off so much?" Silver asked. "She was saying

she was wanting to be my friend and help me out, but then…" Sonic searched for his phone but

forgot he left it at Gazelle's house. "It's ok Sonic, I'll take it from here." Bogo said

Compassionately, understanding the pain and emotion his friend was going through. "Gazelle

was asking Justin for some advice on what to do about helping Sonic and he advised her to

break her word and let him solve it on his own." Judy was the first to angrily react at the fact.

"Now why would she break her word like that?!" "Remember Judy that Justin was the one

giving her advice." Chief Bogo reminded her, "Even though Justin is reformed now, he could still

be struggling with what to do in situations thus giving Gazelle bad advice." "Still though, she

shouldn't have taken the advice if she knew it was going to contradict what she believes in."

Tails said, offering his input on the situation. "I don't know why Gazelle chose to follow his

advice, but I'm sure that she'll try to make it right." Bogo said with a smile, ignoring Sonic's

muttering of "Oh she better." hidden under his breath. "Sonic, I know you set up an appointment

with Molly Mongoose right before they close tonight, do you need a lift?" the chief offered. "No

thanks, I can get there just fine. If you could hand me a map so I can get there, that would be

great." Chief Bogo nodded and handed Sonic a rolled-up map of Zootopia. "Thanks Chief."

Sonic said gratefully with a smile on his face and saluting him. The Chief did the same saluting

Sonic. "You're welcome. Good luck." And with that, Bogo got back onto his plane as it flew off

and Sonic ran at Sonic speed towards Mongoose Psychiatrics. "So Tails, where did you trace

the signal to so we can find these guys?" Judy asked. Tails pushed a few buttons until he

finally found what he was wanting. "Apparently Sucrase is stationed in Tundratown about 50

miles behind some big mansion." "Big mansion?" Silver asked. "Wait a minute, Big mansion?

Mr. Big?" Judy asked Tails. "Yep, that's the one. I'm pretty sure that after the way you've been

so nice to him and his family he'll help you and let you and Silver stay." Tails affirmed. "Wait a

sec, you're not going?" Silver asked Tails. "Nope. I have to stay behind and be a utility fox for

ZPD in case numbers drop down again." Tails confirmed. Silver nodded, understanding that this

was the way things had to be. Even though he would've rather had Tails near so that he could

help him explain to Judy what his feelings were about her. Although Silver loved Judy as a

friend, he felt like he should take time to know her first and then settle into a more romantic

relationship. The only problem Silver had was knowing how to explain it to Judy without hurting

her feelings or damaging their friendship. "Alright Tails, be safe out there." Silver said as Tails

was getting ready to leave. "You too." Tails shouted as he was flying with his tails to try and

catch up with KZ. Silver then looked into Judy's confident eyes as she was holding Silver's

hand getting ready to stroll into City Central to catch a train because the train station going to

Zootopia from Bunnyborrow was destroyed in the fire. "Are you ready Whitey?" Judy asked her

friend in the utmost confidence. Silver returned her confident look with one of his own and

gripped her hand firmly. "You bet Judy, and please call me Silver." Judy nodded as the two

started on a trek that would not only save Zootopia, but would lead to new discoveries.

Discoveries about each other and themselves.

 _Ok, that was a little lengthy, but I really enjoyed writing this chapter. As you may have noticed I_

 _put a lot of detail into what I write so that my audience will better grasp the story I'm writing and_

 _the circumstances around it, hence the last two chapters being a little long, but I really hope that_

 _you all come away understanding the story better. Anyhow, quick shout-out to my two newest_

 _followers SuperKamek34 and Laterose Wildlough. Glad you both are enjoying the story as_

 _much as I'm enjoying writing it. Also, the songs in this chapter "Down in Flames" and_

" _Undefeated" are owned by Matthew Parker and Tauren Wells. Any unoriginal content in any_

 _form is used for entertainment and educational purposes only. So before I leave, I have two_

 _awesome paths I want to work on after Thanksgiving, but I need your input as to which one I_

 _need to start first. Do you want me to start the next few chapters with Sonic and Gazelle's story_

 _for something fresh or do you want me to start them with Judy and Silver like I planned?_

 _Review and PM to let me know what you think. Until then, see you next time._

 _LoveandEdify out._


	18. LITO Chapter 15: In the Big House

_Hey everybody. So after thinking about it, the best thing for me to do for right now is start by finishing Judy and Silver's story as planned and then go to Sonic and Gazelle later. (Later probably means in the next two chapters.) Again, any unoriginal content is used for entertainment and educational purposes only._

Love In The Open.

Chapter 15: In the Big House

After hopping on the train from their long walk, Judy and Silver finally collapsed (ok, they didn't

faint, they just fell down.) on the icy pavement of Tundratown. Both of them were tired from their

long walk, but they still helped each other up from the ground, secretly hoping that they didn't

have to walk or hop a step further. Luckily, their thoughts were answered by a black limousine

appearing right in front of them. The front door was marked with a big letter B, but way more

fancy and also, the letter was so bright and glistening, you would think that it was sealed with

ice, which it was. The two looked at the limousine to see a window open from the passenger

side and weirdly enough, there was no one in the passenger side. "This could be a trap from

the Ring, I'll go check." Silver told Judy. Before he went to the limo, Judy had her hand on his

arm. Silver remembered the first time that this happened at the bowling alley after she went to

apologize to him. He wondered what she wanted this time. "No, if you're checking this out, then

I'm going with you." Silver then nodded. He was too mentally worn from the previous ordeal to

disagree with her now. Admittedly, he actually had come to enjoy her company, despite the fact

that she was a bunny cop. He didn't disrespect anyone who wanted to go after their dreams, he

just had a tough time believing that a bunny like her could become an honest-to-goodness cop.

She may not have had the physical stature to be a cop, but Silver started to see from just being

with her, watching her save Bunnyborrow, watching how loyal she was and he especially

thought she was actually pretty for a… "Hey you!" Silver was shouting to no one in… "Yeah, I'm

talking to you!" Oh boy. *sigh* Will you all excuse me for a minute?

 _Silver: Why are you trying to put in my head?_

 _LoveandEdify: I didn't put anything into your head. You were thinking about Judy and how_

 _beautiful she was._

 _Silver: Well how did that get in there? You're the writer, aren't you?_

 _LoveandEdify: Yes, I am the writer, but I have given you all the freedom to do as you choose._

 _As my characters, I know how you all think and act in situations and I really care about all of_

 _you. But you all have the freedom to choose as you wish._

 _Silver: *sighs* Alright, I'm sorry about getting mad like that. But you didn't answer my question_

 _though._

 _LoveandEdify: I didn't put anything into your head, but I can tell by the expressions of what has_

 _happened in your tale so far that that was what was on your mind._

 _Silver: How so?_

 _LoveandEdify: Silver, come on buddy. Don't do you remember the fun times you two had? You_

 _two were having so much fun together. I don't think I've ever seen you this excited since, well, I_

 _don't know when._

 _Silver: You mean you know and you don't want to spoil it for anyone._

 _LoveandEdify: Yes._

 _Silver: Well, I know I'm just a character, but can I make one simple request?_

 _LoveandEdify: Well, what is it?_

 _Silver: You're right. You're right about me and Judy. The only request I make is that this story_

 _gets a happy ending._

 _LoveandEdify: I am not the author of your story. I am only the writer of your story._

 _Silver: What do you mean?_

 _LoveandEdify: I can only write what has happened. I can't make anything happen for anyone_

 _else. I'm only responsible for what_ I _write down. But you my friend. You're the one that can_

 _make your story wonderful. You already know what to do, so do it._

 _Silver: But what if it doesn't work?_

 _LoveandEdify: Then edit your story. Your work isn't a one-way track, you can always improve_

 _it. The only way that your work can't be improved is that you don't improve it, understand?_

 _Silver: Alright. You bet, and don't worry, I won't disappoint._

 _LoveandEdify: That's the spirit. Oh, but I will give you this._

 _(LoveandEdify gives Silver a Christmas card)_

 _Silver: Oh thanks. Wait, do you always have that goofy of a grin?_

 _LoveandEdify: I have braces man, I can't help that. Now go my friend, and make your story_

 _successful._

(Ok, back to the story)

"Who were you talking to Silver?" Judy asked as she looked concerned at her white hedgehog

friend. Silver looked down at Judy taken aback from his trance. "Oh, sorry about that. I really

need to step up my game, don't I." "Yes you do Whitey." Judy said in a rather witty way. "Hey,

get me my stool." a rather strange sounding Russian accent sounded from the passenger side.

The two looked in the passenger seat as they saw a tiny arctic shrew walk on top of a stepstool

peering out of the window. Judy smiled in anticipation as she recognized who it was

immediately. "Mr. Big." Judy said, excited to see her old acquaintance from her first case. The

small arctic shrew finally ascended to the top of the stool. "Judy, you know this guy?" Silver

asked, looking rather suspiciously at the shrew. "Well I knew Chief Bogo would be sending Judy

because she needs help," Mr. Big started, before catching a breath. "But I didn't know that this

time her accomplice was someone even more disrespectful than the last one she had." "Wait a

minute, where did that idea come from?" Now now Silver, it wasn't me. But I can see how

ticked you are, so I think it's time for a…

 _Timeskip...In the Limo on the way to Mr. Big's mansion_

"So, let me get this straight Judy. The shrew is Mr. Big." Silver asked Judy, still trying to wrap

his mind around the shrew. "Yep." Judy affirmed, as the two were seated comfortably in the

back of the fancy car. Last time Judy met Mr. Big, she and her partner Nick had a bad run-in

with Mr. Big that nearly had him order his polar-bear bodyguards to toss them into an

underground freezer. Luckily, prior to the run-in, Judy ended up saving the life of Mr. Big's young

daughter while attempting to catch a petty thief near a shopping mall. That one act of kindness

changed the heart of the former criminal enough to have him pardon Judy and her partner and

was even willing enough of to help them with their first case. Now, he was commissioned by the

mayor of Zootopia (a hawk named Richard Talon) to become the head of Zootopia's

banking system as a reward for his efforts and also for vowing to give up crime. Silver still

looked a little confused at his friend. "So, the bear isn't Mr. Big, it's the shrew, correct?" Silver

guessed. "Do not judge a rodent by his size my friend." Mr. Big replied, taking a sip of an

iced-cold beverage, "Even though I am small, my heart is very big. Just like your friend next to

you there." He said, referring to Judy. "Awe." Judy said, looking up towards Silver, who turned

around to look at her for the first time since the train ride. She knew that there was something

troubling him and while it wasn't too obvious, she could tell from the moment that they left her

hometown, something had been bothering her friend somewhat. She was about to ask him

what had been nagging at him when the limo finally stopped at the big mansion. The mansion

itself was a big ancient castle that had been passed down by Mr. Big's family from generation to

generation. As Judy and Silver walked inside the castle-like mansion, they quickly discovered

that the Big family really enjoyed their comforts. From a massive roaring fireplace in the living

room with lush plush sofas and a large icy bookshelf full of historical literature to a beautiful

kitchen that possessed beautiful crystal silverware and an ice table, you could say that the Big

family weren't just sitting in the lapse of luxury, but also being pampered by it. As Silver, Judy

and Mr. Big finally went into the main money-counting room, which was a wide space which had

two big wooden chairs in front of a wooden desk which had various cabinets for filing cabinets

for sorting out important financial documents for any Zootopian citizen, two polar bears shut the

door behind them to gain some privacy. "So Mr. Big, how has the banking business been?"

Judy said, taking a minute to observe the beauty of the room. "It has been most enjoyable so

far thank you. Before we begin, I would like to thank you for making me realize that I needed to

be more involved in my family's life. I knew that I was needing to turn a new leaf for some time,

but I would never have found that purpose if it weren't for your intervention a week ago. Thank

you so much Officer Hopps." Mr. Big stated with all sincerity. Judy was taken aback by that

moment of gratitude shown by this kind arctic shrew. "Awe. You're so welcome. Now back to

the case. We're not assuming anything, but did you recently fund some of your money to help

a Jerry Vole open a business?" Judy asked, refocusing to the topic at hand. Mr. Big's head

drooped down to the floor in guilt. "Yes. And I can't understand why he would turn it into a

fortress for the Ring." "Do you think that the Ring forced him into it by threatening to attack

you?" Judy asked, remembering what Nick told her about the Ring. "I wasn't able to find that

out, but I did remember him being very nervous." Mr. Big sighed depressedly for a second.

"What's wrong?" Judy asked, naturally concerned for her friend. "What's crazy is that I could

own more from my accounts. If 60% of what I owned didn't go to the Ring as blackmail money."

Judy couldn't believe her ears at what she heard. Mr. Big was forced into crime by the Ring?

"The Ring wasn't as big as it was before I started becoming a criminal 20 years ago. They have

always used trickery, deceit and fear in order to get what they want. Sometimes their attacks

were obvious, others you hardly saw coming, but either way, we were tricked. They came to me

and my brother disguised as poor ones needing work from my father, so we agreed to let them

in. But every month, their demeanor became more and more fierce until finally one day, there

had been a rebellion against my father." Mr. Big said, putting as much anger and hatred into

each revolting detail as possible until he finally calmed himself down. "It turned out that the

wolves hired to do their dirty deeds started a silent revolt against my father's company and

convinced half of my father's staff to join them and also murder my father." Judy's inner fire for

justice to be done was blazing by the second after hearing this story of treachery and betrayal.

"So, why weren't you killed?" Judy asked Mr. Big after managing to keep calm. Mr. Big

understood the apprehension, so he responded "Because they

never wanted to hinder our family's potential to recover from attacks so that they could earn

more money for themselves. They knew that if they didn't provide for the Kyman Klaw, then

they would be executed." "The Kyman Klaw?" Judy asked. "The leader of their pack. It was to

be believed that he had power over all of the world because of the power and might he

Possessed. The way he's selected is through a yearly cage-fight. No holds barred, losers are

often killed if not maimed. 16 contestants are selected at random." Mr. Big answered. Judy

Nodded, affirming that she got the information she needed. Just then, a knock came from the

money vault door. Had someone from the Ring been eavesdropping from within? The vault

door opened to reveal a younger female shrew coming out of the vault. "Daddy, I've

checked the security computer like you said and I saw something…" the young shrew stopped

to turn and see Judy sitting down and she ran to greet her old friend. "Hey, I didn't know you

were here." the shrew excitedly shrieked as she embraced her friend. "Daddy, how come you

didn't tell me we were having company?" she asked. "It was last-second Fru-Fru, I wasn't

expecting this." Mr. Big explained to his daughter. "Still though, how've you been?" Fru-Fru

asked Judy rather excitedly as she was shaking her friend's hand rather rapidly. "Doing great

Fru-Fru. How's little me coming along?" Judy asked. During the case, Judy and Nick needed

help interrogating a criminal, so they went to Mr. Big's where he threatened to freeze the

criminal if he didn't help. Mr. Big also revealed to them that Fru-Fru (after her wedding) was

expecting a baby and revealed that she was going to name her daughter Judy as a sign of

gratitude to her. "Oh she's coming along fine." She said, before turning around to see her father

again. "Now daddy, the thing I wanted to tell you was that I saw something weird in our bank

office while checking the camera. He looked like a white hedgehog that lived here, but he

doesn't look like anyone you know daddy." Judy and Mr. Big turned to look at each other, then

at Fru-fru, then towards a corner in the room where Silver moved his chair while the

conversations have taken place. "Oh, that is Silver. He is one of Judy's friends and he's a

Mobian. Remember that two-tailed fox we also saw at…" Judy slowly backed off from the

conversation between father and daughter to observe his friend sitting at a corner as if he had

done something wrong. This made her feel sad as she hopped along towards Silver. Could it

have been that he felt left out of the case or could it have been something else?

 _Empire by Shakira starts to play_

Judy peaked next to Silver and saw him holding a picture of a purple cat shooting flames

from her hands. She saw him clutch the picture as he sat face-down almost

crying. He was lucky that she didn't see him because he would've felt guilty to have her see

him in this vulnerable state. As he saw the picture, tears were slowly starting to form in his eyes

as a memory came back to him.

 _Flashback - Sol Kingdom - 1 week ago_

 _Silver and Blaze were done fighting off a strange new villain that had the ability to suck the_

 _energy out of any living being. After barely winning the battle, the two friends decided to have_

 _some fun together by taking a swim in a lake nearby. The two were happily swimming away_

 _splashing each other with the water until they both finally decided to hop out of the cold water_

 _and laid down next to each other (Not like THAT! Come on, they're_ _friends_ _, get it?) gazing at_

 _the pitch black sky that was illuminated with stars in the sky. Blaze the Cat sighed in_

 _contentment over the day's activities. "Well Silver, I don't beat up supernatural supervillains like_

 _that everyday, but if I had to, then I'm glad it's with you." she said, smiling at Silver. "Yeah."_

 _Silver agreed. "If only we can have this much fun more often." Silver said. Blaze looked at_

 _Silver as if she wanted to say something, but felt uncomfortable doing so. After a few minutes,_

 _she decided to go for it. "Silver, I know I promised you an answer on us, and I'm sorry, I've been_

 _so focused on kingdom things that I've barely had time to think." Blaze sighed as the white_

 _hedgehog took a brief glimpse at her, wondering what she was going to say next. "But, you_

 _deserve an answer. Silver, I have always seen you as my friend and my ally. And I am forever_

 _grateful to you. But Silver, my people are worried. They all love and adore you just as I do; but_

 _if the kingdom is going to survive, they need a warrior for a prince." Silver was shocked at what_

 _he was hearing, but being a friend who put other's needs before his own, he understood that_

 _Blaze's decisions were for the best and that the pair would remain friends no matter what the_

 _trial. "You know that I will always be your friend, despite what others say. But for right now, I_

 _have to put the needs of my people first. I think you can understand that, don't you?" Silver_

 _nodded and confirmed the agreement by saying "I do."_

 _End of Flashback - Music Pauses_

Silver's thoughts were interrupted when Judy tapped him on the arm. "Silver, who was that in

the picture?" Silver never really felt threatened by Judy, but he did know that by revealing the

answer would probably lead her to believe that he was using her

just to get even with Blaze. He also knew that by not revealing anything at all, he thinks she

would feel like he's being dishonest with her. It seemed like no matter where he stepped on the

lake of thin ice in this situation, the pressure would cause him to fall in. "Silver?" Judy asked,

wondering if Silver was still focused or not. He knew that it was right then and there that he

either had to be 100% honest with her about Blaze or 100% dishonest about Blaze. He knew

that anything less would tick Judy off and have her assume the worst. "Silver, who

is this in the picture?" Judy asked him. Contrary to the mountain Silver created, what Judy was

asking him was actually a molehill question. She wanted to get to know more about Silver and

was _actually_ curious, not jealous, of anyone. She figured that the cat might be a bit of an

icebreaker for the two. But Silver's metal attitude got the better of him, "Alright Judy, you deserve the truth. Her name is Blaze. She

was one of my best friends, a princess of the Sol kingdom. I-I'll admit, I was going to ask her to

be my girlfriend, but she said no she didn't. We're just friends now, ok Judy, only friends."

Silver paused for a brief moment to catch his breath as Judy looked at him with shock.

Although she knew he was trying to ask for something, she wondered if she crossed the line

with his personal business and that was forcing him to become scared and overly defensive.

He then continued. "I've already known that you were in love with me because your father told

me, and I know what you're thinking, 'is he going to respond, is he not' well let me tell you this.

You are an amazing friend and I have really enjoyed your company and I love you in that regard,

but… romantically… it's not that I don't want to, it's just that I'm...I'm sorry, I'm just too

exhausted right now." Silver finished as he rapidly walked out of the room crying. Judy tried to

grab his arm, but Silver saw that coming and yanked it away. Judy watched the reaction rather

stunned as she turned towards Mr. Big and his daughter. "What happened there? I've never

seen him be so honest and yet so fearful. I wasn't trying to probe him, was I?" Both the shrews

shrugged as they had no idea how to answer their friend's panicked frenzy of emotion. "Listen

Judy, we have no idea what was going on, but we know someone who might." Judy hopped up

to them, but slid on the icy floor before recovering. "Who?" she asked.

 _Transition - Downstairs Basement_

Judy went into the basement to see a rather plump polar bear sleeping against the wall of the

small cramped basement. Judy wondered if he should wake the bear up from his nap or not,

but then she remembered something Mr. Big said to her just before he left. " _He's very_

 _discerning and very friendly, if he's asleep, give him a friendly nudge to wake him up._ " Judy

then gave a tap on the nose and sure enough, the bear woke up groggily from his nap. He

yawned deeply and Judy thought she smelt the scent of tuna on his breath. "Hello bunny bunny.

Mr. Big told me that you needed help discerning some kind of issue with your buddy, is that

right?" the bear asked, looking rather tired but still eager to help. "Ah yeah, that's right." she

said, trying to politely turn away from the fishy smell. "Oh yeah, sorry about the fish. I was

eating a little snack before I took my nap." " _A little?_ " Judy thought. " _Try all the fish in the_

 _ocean._ " She kept those thoughts to herself as she turned to face the bear. "As you can see

Judy, there are ways that you could tell what someone's thinking about by looking at them." the

bear stated as he typed down some security footage that appeared on a tv right behind him.

Judy saw footage of the limo pulling up then he saw the bear zoom up on Silver, whose

expression seemed to be a little bored. "Alright bunny bunny, in order to figure out what's going

on, you're gonna need to learn some discernment." the bear said politely. "Discernment?

Discernment about what?" Judy was a little confused at what the bear was trying to get at.

"Discernment is when you just quit thinking about trying to do and see what others _are_ thinking

and doing. Now, take Silver here. Silver might look like he's bored and exhausted, but is he?

You gotta look beyond yourself and see _all_ the situation." Even though Judy was somewhat

understanding what the flabby bear was trying to say, she was still confused as to how this was

to help her with Silver. "Look Mr. Bear," Judy started, "Oh, well my dad is named Mr. Bear, my

name is Derrick." the bear interrupted. Judy took a deep breath and then resumed the

conversation. "Ok, Derrick. How is this going to help out here?" Derrick laughed, not in an

impolite or mean way, but rather a gentle chuckle. "You're a cop aren't you? This is all simply

what cops do. Put together pieces of the big picture." Judy finally saw what Derrick was talking

about. In order to see what was bugging her friend, she needed to retrace hers and Silver's

actions from the previous few nights. "Alright, so I remember that we ended up going to

Bunnyborrow for the day before the accident started happening." As Judy finished that

sentence, she saw Derrick rewind the video all the way back to when the fire started. "Ok, this

is the fire." Derrick affirmed. Judy was a little suspicious. "How did you get that footage?" she

asked. "ZPD sent us a copy of the footage, thought it might help us help you." Derrick said with

a smile as he let the footage play. Judy saw the part where Silver was feeling guilty and

kneeling next to the fire. "Ok, stop right here." Judy said raising her paw as Derrick paused the

film. "Ok, so I know that Silver is feeling pretty bad about what happened in the fire. He was

telling me that it was all his fault and it really wasn't." "What would make him think that? Was

something else going on during the fire?" Judy reflected on Derrick's question for a minute.

"Well, I know that I was going to take him out to see some favorite places, then this whole thing

at the fair happened…" Derrick then tapped Judy on the shoulder to interrupt her. "Well, what

Happened before the fair?" "You know, I was going to take him to some special places…" Judy

was again interrupted by Derrick. "As friends or as in lovers?" Judy could tell right away that

Derrick would make a good cop. He kind of reminded her of her good friend Benjamin

Clawhauser, an obese cheetah who had a great heart for others, who was honest and open,

while still taking his duties seriously when he needed to. She then thought back to Derrick's

question. "Well, I was planning to go with him as a friend and then just slowly gradually ease

him into that idea." Derrick didn't look convinced that that was what she wanted to do. "Well

bunny bunny…" "Judy." Judy corrected him. "Alright then. Tell me this bunny bunny. If Silver

was just a friend, why was he so brokenhearted when he told you about the house?" Derrick's

question intrigued Judy. She watched as he played a clip where Silver was seen crying about

the amount of grief he experienced over the fire. "Strange, I never saw him do that." she

pointed out to the polar bear. "Of course you didn't bunny bunny. That's because you only saw

his back. But if you saw the whole story from different angles…" he paused and handed Judy a

set of Fursung VR glasses. "Then everything will be clear. Just put them on, but remember to

look at the tale from _all_ 360 degrees of that angle." Derrick said, then added before Judy put the

goggles on, "Oh by the way, I only set this tale to about 15 minutes. My boss usually uses this

for medical purposes, but he knows the dangers of being on that thing too long. That's why I put

a time limit on there."

 _The Darkness from Built By Titan and Svrcina plays from the chorus_

 _Transition: VR-Stimulation of memories past._

Judy nodded in understanding, took a deep breath and put the goggles

on. She stepped back into those memories once again, with the first one being the fire. Judy

once saw from the back before and thought he was kneeling, but she knew better now. She

turned towards the front and saw Silver with his head down and tears falling down from his face

like rain. She used what she learned about seeing from another's perspective to find out why

this was so. She dug deeper into the situations that happened before that. He must've found

out from somewhere Judy's feelings, so she kept that in mind. Knowing how Silver initially

reacted towards her about wanting to head out with her, she knew that Silver wanted to go, but

only as a friend. The scene switched from the fire to a few seconds ago in Mr. Big's room.

Again, she went beyond the back and looked towards the front. There was no fear or guilt this

time, but stress. She saw his head looking towards the picture of the purple cat and thought

she had heard him whisper something. She turned up the volume on the goggles and now fully

heard what Silver was saying. " _Oh Blaze. If only I could ask you here right now 'cause I really_

 _need help._ " Silver then sighed and took a deep breath before continuing. " _I know you said right_

 _before I left you wanted me to be happy. But how can that happen knowing you won't be?_

 _Would I be betraying our friendship if she joined in?"_ ("She" refers to Judy here) " _If I told her_

 _about you, then she would probably get jealous and think she isn't a good-enough friend for_

 _me; but if I don't, then she would abandon me because of dishonesty. I can't afford to lose you,_

 _but I also can't afford to lose her. Please help me. I know you're far away, I know you may not_

 _understand but please help me._ "

 _VR experience ends. Song ends._

When the timer sounded, Judy took off the goggles and handed them to the polar bear. Once

she added everything up she came to realize the problem. "He's been trying to impress me too.

And all that time, I thought _I_ was the only one trying to prove something. I gotta go get to him!"

Judy shouted with the most urgency as she quickly went out the door and shut it. Then, she

reopened the door and said, "Oh, by the way, thanks." Derrick did a little wave and gave her a

look that said "You're welcome, please come back anytime."

 _Timeskip: Icy Deck._

After spending about 10 minutes searching everywhere else, she finally found Silver sitting on

an ice chair looking towards the view of the rest of the polar town. As she hopped towards him,

she knew that she was only seeing the back of him. She tried to think in his perspective. She

would've felt terrible after betraying someone, especially since they have come to be a very

close friend. She imagined all the possible labels Silver had placed on himself after that.

Deceiver, cheater, impure and self-centered were at least a few that Judy would see putting on

herself after that. She finally sat down next to her friend in a chair next to him looking at the

view as well. "You may not know this yet, but I hope you understand when I say this. I am

proud of you Silver the Hedgehog." she said into the arctic darkness. She wasn't expecting to

hear anything back, but she paused for a moment to let those words resonate in her friend's

mind. After a brief lull in the darkness, Judy decided to speak again. "After what you've been

through, after all _I've_ put you through, I never expected you to stick by me the way you

did, and yet here you are. I have never wanted you to feel like you _had_ to become my friend

but you are."

 _Empire by Shakira plays from chorus_

Even though Judy didn't purposely try to get emotional, it was that sense of

empathy that was one of her greatest gifts. Her passion for her friend made her display feelings

and emotion towards him that she had never shown to him before.

"I've never expected you to be this loyal, strong, brave, honest and true friend who

stood by me while my home burned down, has always shown been so kind to me and has been

honest enough to be that vulnerable about something so personal." She broke down again as

she covered her eyes to catch her tears, while being completely oblivious to Silver who had rose

from his chair and was kneeling next to her wiping her tears and smiling in compassion. Silver

then brought Judy up from her kneeling position to have her look into his eyes. "What else can I

say? Maybe you're that worthy of a friend." Judy regained her composure as she joined in an

embrace with her now fully healed friend. The one, she knew she could always depend on. "So

Silver, whether you want to start with me right now or if you want to take it slow or even if you

want to just stay friends, then I am ready to take that journey with you. The choice is yours."

Judy said, finally easing off the last burden her friend had. Silver looked at her gratefully, no

longer having to worry about being burdened with a deadline. "What if I wanted to get to know

you better during our adventure, then made up my mind after the case?" Silver asked, hoping

that Judy was serious about what she said. She crossed her heart with her finger and then did

the same to Silver's and smiled at her friend. "If that's what you want, then let's do it." Judy

said. The two yawned as they were exhausted from the day's events as they collapsed again.

This time, Mr. Big happened to be walking by with two of his polar bear bodyguards and had

them carry the two to a spare bedroom with two twin beds that were right next to each other and

watched as the two friends get some well deserved rest which both of them experiencing

change in their friendship. Change, that will be for the better.

 _Song ends._

 _Alright pals, that's a wrap for this chapter, I put a lot of time and effort into this one, so I_ really

 _hope that you enjoy it. Also, send me a review on what you thought about my attempt to throw_

 _in a 4th-wall breaking segment, I've seen it in other Fanfics so I thought I would try it as well._

 _This is the only chapter in LITO that I'm doing it, so I really hope you all liked it. Also, you can_

 _tell that I used another Shakira song in the story. (Empire belongs to Shakira, not to me.) I_

 _listened to it a couple of days ago and thought that it would be a perfect song not just for the_

 _flashback to Silver and Blaze, but also to when Judy and Silver talk about approaching their_

 _relationship on the deck. It's really a song that describes how Judy's feeling towards Silver that_

 _she wants him to tell her about her problems so that she can help him, no matter what. I've_

 _always admired that quality in Judy and in people in general. Anyhow, the other song I used,_

" _The Darkness" is owned by Built By Titan and not by me. As always, any unoriginal content is_

 _for educational and entertainment purposes only. So next time, we're going to see what_

 _happens when Sonic meets Molly Mongoose. Would she be able to help him sort out his_

 _problems with Gazelle and also help him regain his purpose? Don't miss this next exciting_

 _chapter that is Part 1 of a two-part series I'd like to call "The Appointment." Until then, Merry_

 _Christmas, Happy Holidays and bye. LoveandEdify out._


	19. Chapter 16: The Appointment (Part 1)

_I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! I'm sure some of you missed me after that brief hiatus. I've been brainstorming some ideas for the next few chapters after this and I might need help with some ideas which I will further discuss in the next chapter. But first, chapters aweigh…_

 _Any unoriginal content serves as education and entertainment purposes only._

Love In The Open: Chapter 16

The Appointment (Part 1)

"Bogo, I'm not going there." Sonic said, rather annoyed. "Oh yes you are my hedgehog friend,

either move or you will be moved." Chief Bogo replied in a rather witty and condescending tone.

Sonic sighed in reluctance and moved his final checker over to where Bogo easily captured it to

win the game. Sonic was planning on heading over to Molly's earlier, but with there being only

15 minutes 'til closing, Sonic knew that (even with/without his speed) he had plenty of time to

get there; so he decided to hang out with his new pal the police chief for a bit. The duo had

passed their time in a variety of ways from reading off of old records, watching action-packed

movies such as Fast and Furryous, San Antreas and Warship, to now showing off their rugged

competitive edges. After Sonic beat the Chief in an endurance running race on the treadmills of

the ZPD gym and the Chief beat Sonic in a game of Z-O-O that was down to the wire. (Z-O-O is

the Zootopian version of the famous basketball game P-I-G where the first one to spell the letter

by missing three shots your opponent makes) Now Bogo just beat Sonic in a game of checkers.

"Alright buddy you win." Sonic confessed as the two shook hands/hooves. "Hey, I wonder how

long it's gonna be until I have to leave?" Sonic said, flipping out an Armidillolex golden watch.

"Hmm...10 'til. What else do you wanna do buddy?" As if on cue, Chief Bogo's phone went off.

He looked at it to see his assistant's number and he pressed talk. "Clawhauser, what is it this

time?" Chief Bogo asked, rather annoyed that he was interrupting their newly found bro-time.

"So sorry about this Chief, but you will _not_ believe what I just found out, just try me, you will

never believe me, not in a million…" Chief Bogo then sighed in annoyance, facehoofed himself

and took a deep breath. "Alright, but make it quick, alright?" "You bet sir." Ben replied,

seeming as eager as ever. "Ok, so you know how I've been looking for new Gazelle news

today? Well, Judy just called me and told me that Gazelle was dating...ok are you ready for

this… a Mobian hedgehog. Yeah, the same one we bumped into at the concert and get this,

Judy's also in love with _another_ hedgehog from Mobius. Crystal white fur, golden heart, sharp

mind, awe Chief this is soooooo cute." Bogo and Sonic already knew that the white hedgehog

Ben was referring to was Silver, but he never actually met Silver. The only two Mobians he saw

were Tails and Sonic. It was then that the two now-bros came up with an idea on how to keep

Ben the flabby cheetah receptionist quiet. "Clawhauser, report to my office immediately.

There's someone here to see you."

 _Timeskip...30 seconds later_

The tranquil silence was now interrupted by a sound of heavy breathing and panting by an

obese cheetah, Ben, leaning on a wall of Chief Bogo's office. "Ah, finally. So, you heard that

Gazelle was dating a blue Mobian hedgehog, correct?" Ben nodded, wondering what his

coworker/buddy had in store for him. "Did you mean someone like this?" Bogo asked, as he

Pointed towards Sonic who was in a spinning office chair turning towards the cheetah. To say

that Ben was beside himself was an understatement as he had his jaw dropped and he started

walking up to Sonic and started poking his face. "Alright, what are you doing that for?" Sonic

asked, as the cheetah gently tapped his face. Ben's expression lightened up quickly. "Ohhh.

M. Goodness. You are real and you can speak. Hey, so do you have any idea when Gazelle's

releasing her new album? How are things going between you two? And speaking of things, are

you two a thing yet?" Sonic gave the cheetah a shocked expression. "Ah, no to all of those

questions Spots. I'm probably guessing Chief Bogo told you all of this stuff?" "Nope." Ben

replied to Sonic's statement then continued. "Judykins the bunnykins told me Sonic. And also,

can I be best cheetah at the wedding?" "Whoa whoa whoa Benny," Sonic stated, simmering

down the cheetah's excitement. "Look, I've heard a lot about you, I know you're a huge Gazelle

fan and how you helped Tails, Nick and Judy destroy some plan by some black sheep; but

contrary to whatever rumor you heard, things aren't going too well between me and her. I'm

sorry buddy." The cheetah wasn't disappointed as much as he was confused in that statement.

Chief Bogo put a hoof on the cheetah's shoulder. "I'll explain it to you later. _After_ Sonic heads

out to Mongoose Psychiatrics before they close in 5 minutes." Sonic looked at the watch and

realized that the Chief was correct. "Uh-oh. I better head. Hey, it's been nice hanging out with

you Chief. Catcha later cheetah." He said waving at both of them as he sped out the door.

"See you hedgehog." Bogo said. "Uh Chief…" Clawhauser said, wanting to ask the Chief what

was going on. "Alright then buddy, you might want to sit down." The chief stated as he

reorganized everything from the bro-fest.

 _Meanwhile, speeding around Zootopia…_

 _Hysteria by Joel Vaughn (David Thulin remix) starts._

Sonic knew that he could get there _way_ faster than 5 minutes, but he needed some time to just

run around and think for a minute. Why in the world did Gazelle have to become so two-faced

towards him. It seemed that when Justin arrived on the scene, she wasn't acting too much like

herself. While she was still being friendly to him, it seemed that Justin was trying to be a worm

in the apple of his eye. It seemed that he had become a bit of a chore to her instead of a friend.

But then again, he knew that he didn't need to _always_ have her help or her advice, although it

was very useful. She seemed to be the perfect friend for him to be around (nothing against his

Mobian friends) but things seemed to change when Justin came in. And now, Sonic had all of

these thoughts in his head. "Was Justin really reformed? Was he joking? Maybe I'm just being

jealous. I need to stop being jealous. But I _am_ happy for her, I could care more or less which

one of us she loves better. Wait a minute, did I just say what I thought I said? Yeah, I did. Then

again, this never came easy for me. She may not love me anymore, but she doesn't hate me,

does she? But she broke a promise. That _really_ has me ticked off. Should I trust her again?

Would she even _want_ to make it up? I just don't understand."

 _Nothing makes sense, everything makes sense, nothing makes sense, everything makes_

 _se-e-e-e-ense. To me-ee-ee-ee-ee._

Luckily, Sonic was able to snap out of it quickly enough to actually make it to the small wooden

building on Swanson Ave. with the green sign "Mongoose Psychiatrics" with gold lettering

painted on the sign in front of the door. He stepped into the small building which surprisingly

had a lot of advanced equipment for a building of its size. "Oh, Mr. Hedgehog. I'll be with you in

a minute, I just need to reorganize a few things." Sonic turned to see a long skinny Canadian

goose wearing glasses that was running from here to there trying to organize equipment at her

front desk that had pretty much the latest in computer technology in Zootopia. "Alright then."

Sonic said with a nod as he found a tablet next to him, turned it on and read up on a magazine

article.

 _Timeskip...5 minutes later_

The friendly goose finally stepped out from her desk and extended a wing to walk Sonic into her

office. It was a pretty nice office, also with recently advanced tech, but there was still a

bookshelf full of useful books about technology, psychology, anatomy and also a few books

about aviation. "So from what I heard, you and Gazelle have been getting along rather fine until

a certain timberwolf decided to wreck it all." Molly stated. "Wait a minute Molly, how do you

know all about this?" Sonic asked rather perplexed while he sat in the patient's chair. The nerdy

but friendly bird smiled, knowing Sonic would be asking this. "Well, I'm Gazelle's best friend.

She actually tells me what's going on in situations like this." As if a blinder had been lifted from

his face, Sonic then remembered who he was talking to. "Oh, you're Molly Mongoose." Molly

nodded in response. "The one she helped learn how to fly at the beach." Molly whispered yes

while nodding this time. "The real inspiration behind _Try Everything._ " Molly looked perplexed

and proud at the same time. "Wow. I didn't know that." Molly started. "I mean, I know a lot

about her, but _I_ was the inspiration behind it?" "Yep." Sonic replied, "that whole time with you

learning to fly and how you kept trying was what inspired it." Molly flashed Sonic a grateful

glance towards him. "But enough about that, I heard you could help me with _my_ problems."

Molly finally broke out of her brief trance and stuttered awkwardly, "Oh yes, of course. I'm sorry.

Go on ahead, tell me what's on your mind."

 _I know you're starting to hate these, but…_

 _Timeskip… 1 hour 30 minutes later…_

Sonic was surprised at how much attention Molly paid to every single detail of Sonic's thought

process, which was a _ton_ of information considering all he has been through. "I get it buddy. To

be honest, I'm a little surprised at Gazelle myself. Do you have any idea why she would break

her word like that?" Sonic seemed confused at her question. "Wait a minute, that's what I came

here to find out from _you_. All _I_ know is that when Justin convinced her to do that, I just bolted

and ran." "Mhm, I see. Tell me, why did you run _away_ from it?" Molly asked, as she was taking

notes on a clipboard. "I didn't want to be a bother to her. If it's Justin she wants, Justin she

gets." Sonic replied back while now laying down on the chair. "I'm not going to be _that_ friend

who's so self-centered that they can't be happy without me. The only thing I _am_ ticked off at is

her breaking her promise." "Are you _sure_ that's the only thing that you're ticked off at, like, why

did you accept her offer in the first place?" Sonic knew where the psychiatrist was going with

this. He had seen it far too many times already. The fact that he was denying what he already

knew was eating at him more and more. He knew he had to tell eventually. "I accepted

because I knew she was very beautiful, but when she showed me just how caring and

compassionate she can be, that was when I started becoming attracted to her. She became

more than a friend to me and I'm grateful for that." Molly smiled out of happiness, but then

turned solemn at what she said next. "But when you saw her showing more of that to Justin,

you felt like you weren't receiving your quota, as if she wasn't wanting to be your friend anymore

and that caused you to feel…" "left out." Sonic and Molly said at the same time. "Yeah, exactly,

but what do I do about it?" Sonic asked, who was _still_ perplexed at what to do. "Well, what I

would do is just walk away for a bit. Just spend some time alone away from everything." Molly

then proceeded struggled to lift a bag of camping gear onto the bed. Sonic then lept off and

proceeded to effortlessly lift the bag onto the bed. Molly wiped her forehead in release. "Whew,

thanks. Have you ever been camping before?" Sonic nodded. "A few times." She then

handed him a map of the woods beyond Zootopia. "Find the place I X'ed off. It's always a place

I go when I need to find answers. You can go there." Sonic nodded and took the map.

"Thanks. Hey by the way, how much do I need to pay you?" he asked. "Free of charge my

friend. I'm just glad to be helping my friend out. Well, my friend's friend anyway." Sonic smiled

at this funny, awkward, intelligent and kind new friend he had made. "Thanks for everything

Molly, now if you'll excuse me, I think it's time for a campout." he said, grabbing the bag and

running out the door. As he ran out, he thought he saw Gazelle in the waiting room. "Strange,

what is she doing here?" Sonic then shook his head rapidly trying to shake off his internally

spoken thoughts. "Oh well. Off on my trip." Sonic said, as he dashed off out of Zootopia and

into the next level of his life-changing journey.

 _What's up yo's? Anyhow, I knew I needed to make this one shorter and with the holidays rolling around, next chapter is most likely going to be coming out January 2017. So, giving you guys a heads-up, Fast and Furryous, San Anteas and Warship are all puns off of the movies Fast and Furious, San Andreas and Battleship. I do not own these movies as they all belong to their respective owners. Also, Hysteria is owned by Joel Vaughn. (Any and all unoriginal content is used for educational and entertainment purposes_ only.) _Also, when I first created Molly Mongoose, I literally had_ no _idea what a mongoose actually was. (Hint, not a bird.) But I still wanted to keep the bird part of the story in there as a metaphor of commitment and perseverance. Her personality was inspired by Felicity Smoak from the Arrow tv show. I was a fan of her when I saw her cameo on The Flash and decided that would be the perfect way to personify Molly. (Flash and Arrow belong to DC. Any and all unoriginal content is used for educational and entertainment purposes_ only.)

 _So next time, we reach the conclusion of The Appointment as it's Gazelle's turn to sit in the chair. How's_ this _encounter going to play out? Find out next chapter, until next time. Peace._


	20. Chapter 17: The Appointment (Conclusion)

_Alright my Fanfic brethren, it is time for another chapter. I'm really excited to get this one going._

 _Also, after this chapter, there will be a special announcement about something really big to the_

 _future of my writing. But first, let's see how Gazelle handles seeing her old friend Molly in the_

 _psychiatrist's chair._

Love In The Open

Chapter 17: The Appointment (Conclusion)

Molly knew that Gazelle would be the next patient after Sonic so she knew that the best thing to

do was to not tell him so as not to disrupt his emotions any further. She didn't need to get the

room ready, because the room itself was all ready. However, it was her mental state of mind

she needed to prepare. Gazelle had been her best friend for many years now and as their

friendship continued to blossom, her own self-confidence grew. It was rare however, for Molly to

be the one helping Gazelle. It wasn't that she didn't know how or didn't want to, but there

have never been any situations that called for it. She looked back to how Sonic was feeling and

analyzed _his_ side of the story. He truly was a great friend to her, and there was no doubt that

after analyzing everything on her computer from the appointment. Deducting things from

Sonic's vocal expressions to his heart rate and breathing, she made some valid guesses about

what was going on in his mind. That he was confused, that he was dealing with a certain

amount of anxiety, that he was upset at Gazelle's betrayal. Molly knew from all of those years

that Gazelle wasn't the one to ditch friends blindly, so she knew she must have had _some_

reason. Find that out, she mentally concluded, and then she would come closer to finding out

how to help fix this chaotic mess. She picked up a microphone that connected to the intercom

in the waiting room and spoke into it, "Gazelle, please come into the main room?"

Gazelle came into the main room rather wobbly, as if she was going to give a speech in front

of thousands of cannimals. The gracious and welcoming smile of her friend proved otherwise,

which helped her relax somewhat. "Have a seat." Molly said, showing her the table that Sonic

was on about 10 minutes ago. "Thank you." Gazelle said, while sitting on the table, obviously

relieved. This is how their conversation went.

Gazelle: "It's been a long while my friend."

Molly: "I know, right? How've you been?"

Gazelle: "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I've been having guilty feelings for

a while now and I just realized that maybe, I was wrong."

Molly: "Wrong about what?"

Gazelle took a brief sigh and looked dejectedly at the laminate floor before responding.

Gazelle: "I thought that after Justin left, it would be easy to move on. Have some fun, find

someone new. I never knew it would be this hard."

Molly: "But you and Sonic seemed so sure together…"

Gazelle: "It wasn't about Sonic, it was about what would happen next."

Molly: "What would happen next?"

Gazelle: "Justin told me that Sonic would leave right after he completed his mission. Because

he would no longer need to find his purpose here."

As Gazelle briefly cried again, Molly could better grasp this story. "So it wasn't that you never

loved him?" "It wasn't that at all." Gazelle replied, recovering from her tears while still chock-full

of emotion. Emotion that slowly evolved into pain, and pain that cast the shadow of regret. "I

knew that if I didn't let him go, I would have been selfish in wanting him for myself."

 _Back to the old conversation form… Kinda..._

Molly: "And yet here _you_ are in my office, your friend is left feeling betrayed because you broke

your word to help him, and this is all because you were selfish."

Gazelle was feeling shock and emotion starting to come upon her like a tsunami as she was

quickly starting to lose composure.

Gazelle: "No, that wasn't…"

Molly: "Because you thought that by Sonic leaving you, he would have a better chance at finding

his purpose on his own rather than having someone help him."

Gazelle: "No, that was never the case at all…"

Molly: "All this time you never cared about what he needed at all did you? You didn't even care

for one minute that he was putting all his chips on the fact that…"

Gazelle: "No."

Molly: "...you were gonna be a pronghorn of your word while also banking on being your

Bfflnmw. You told him he was your friend and that's who he was trying to be, and you repaid

all of that by leaving him when he needed you the most."

As the words kept flyin', her pride kept dyin'. Hey, I like sounding cool, ok? Still though she

found herself where she never thought she'd be. Her face was soaked in tears. Tears of agony

after realizing that instead of being the hero, she was becoming no better than a villain. The

images from her haunting nightmare earlier flash-flooded all over again. Becoming a wolf, the

way she talked to her friend. All of that pain coursed through her body as the emotion became

too much for her to bear. "Alright, I confess. I love him!" Molly stared at her friend shocked at

the sudden twist of ideals. "I did those things because I thought that it would help him become

more independent, but I realized that I was only helping myself so I could avoid having to

confess. There's no one else I would rather be with, present company excluded of course. But

I couldn't force myself to tell him because I let my own fear and pride get in the way. And to

think I was speaking against both for my city. And now…" Gazelle could no longer speak as

she collapsed from the table from the weight of her emotion. Luckily, her friend, Molly (who only

used those harsh words to help her realize her mistakes) caught her in her wings and knelt

beside her to console Gazelle and wipe the tears from her eyes. The pair were alone in silence

for a good 30 minutes before Gazelle finally stood up, or was rather helped up by Molly and

embraced her friend. She knew that as a psychologist, Molly needed to probe sometimes to

help, but Gazelle always could count on Molly as a friend, no matter the situation whether

mental or physical. "Thank you Molly." she said, releasing the pair from the embrace. Molly

then put a wing on her friend's shoulder. "You're welcome. Sorry I seemed a little

passive-aggressive back there about you, I guess I was so wrapped up in trying to learn more

about your problem that I, kinda went overboard somewhat, maybe, I don't know." Gazelle

giggled a little at her friend's awkwardness. "It's ok Molly, thank you for being a great friend all

these years." Molly simply smiled, nodded and said, "Gazelle, that's what friends are for. And

I'm sure that's what Sonic still needs right now." Gazelle shook her head in disbelief. "Yeah,

after what I did to him, I don't know if he'll ever want to be _my_ friend again." "Hey, I'm pretty

sure you're, literally, the same artist that wrote 'Try Everything' and if there's ever a time you

need to stay true to yourself, it's now." Gazelle knew that what Molly said was correct and the

resonance of resolve returned to her face once again.

 _Transformed by Shonlock (ft. Tobymac) starts playing…_

" _I've been Transformed, never never going back-back, better than before never-never-going_

 _back."_

Her heart's desire to see that all, _all_ is well for Zootopia and her friends transformed her back

into the compassionate, caring, empathetic, active, solid, bold and ever-so-loyal friend and

animal she once was.

" _I've been Transformed never going back-back, this means war, ready for all that?"_

 _(Tobymac) "I've been Transformed, never going back, better than before, time to react. This_

 _means war! Ready to attack, I've been Transformed!" (2x)_

 _Song continues from there._

Gazelle walked out with a fresh sense of boldness, now knowing what to do and how to do it.

She was almost out the door, when she realized something. She didn't know where Sonic was.

After asking Molly about it, she learned that Sonic was camping in the Blacktail Mountains to

further ponder his life's mission.

 _Transformed plays from the chorus._

Gazelle hopped in her limo and told the driver to drive on straight to the location Molly told her

About and the driver sped off. Molly looked at her friend with joy after she closed up, knowing

that the Gazelle her friends, and her city had come to know and loved, had returned.

 _(Tobymac) "I've been Transformed, never going back, better than before, time to react. This_

 _means war! Ready to attack, I've been Transformed!"_

 _Song ends._

 _Alright guys, I am really pumped up for one, the sequel to this story called "The Project" which_

 _I'm wanting to get started on as soon as LITO gets finished. Also, REALLY SPECIAL_

 _ANNOUNCEMENT. Last year, Whadup5 published a Sonic-MLP crossover titled "The Race"_

 _that pitted Sonic and Rainbow Dash against each other for several races and learn lessons of_

 _true friendship, humility and loyalty. I really recommend that story even if you're not a MLP fan._

 _(An old friend of mine was an MLP fan and I'm a Sonic fan, so this story was perfect for me. In_

 _fact, it was the first Fanfic I've ever read.) Anyhow, Whadup5 and I are teaming up to bring you_

 _the sequel to that first story, which is entitled "The Race 2: Winner Take All" it's gonna be really_

 _exciting, we're gonna be pitting Sonic and RD against speedsters from other planets in the_

 _ultimate race across the universe. It's gonna be really awesome. And I already know what_

 _you're asking, the answer is "no" I'm not gonna cancel LITO. Being a co-writer helps me focus_

 _on mine and Whadup5's story, while still focusing on LITO. Which is really cool as well. We_

 _start work on "The Race: Winner Take All" on about 12/28/2016 and the next chapter of LITO_

 _would come slightly after that. The song Transformed is owned by Shonlock and Tobymac. Any_

 _unoriginal content is used for entertainment and educational purposes only._

 _Anyhow, announcement number 2. In the next chapter of LITO, Judy and Silver are taking a_

 _long trip in the woods and they're looking for fun and bonding time, so they _._

 _Wanna know why I left it blank? Because you, the audience are gonna participate in this._

 _That's right, I'm looking for submissions for what you think Silver and Judy would do for fun in_

 _that situation. Send me your ideas, I will take the top 20 of my ideas, I will pick a winner, and_

 _they will be featured on the next chapter of LITO. It's gonna be awesome._

 _By the way, "bfflnmw" stands for "Best Friend For Life No Matter What."_

 _Anyhow, signing off for now, LoveandEdify out._


	21. Q&A 2

Q&A Session 2

 _Love is Action by Tauren Wells plays_

Hey guys, I got a little bored and while I'm still planning on releasing another LITO chapter

sometime next month, I figured that I'd answer some questions you guys might be having. So

here we go.

First off: What is your next chapter gonna be about? Ok, that's obvious. This is a JudSilv

chapter, (oh yeah, _nailed_ it with the name) that is basically them doing something fun and

bonding for a bit before raiding the Ring. As I read SuperKamek34's review about the romance

between Judy and Silver being rushed, I read LITO for a bit and realized he was right. I want

LITO to be a fun and exciting story that doesn't bore my readers, but I also want it to be

thorough enough for you all to feel like you came away satisfied and ready for the next one. I'm

not going to be spoiling it anymore than I should, but to give readers a heads-up, it's gonna be a

feel-good, have-fun chapter then also has some fluff/emotion between JudSilv (oh yeah, did it

again!) Moving on, next… WATCH ME HIT THE CRAY BUTTON!

 _Cray Button by Family Force 5 plays_

OH YEAH, spooked you there, didn't I. Anyhow…

So what's this new story I heard you're doing?

As I mentioned in the last chapter, I'm actually a

co-writer for a project that Whadup5 invited me to work on. It's a Sonic-MLP crossover that is

the sequel to his popular 2015 work, _The Race_ , if you haven't read that one yet, please check it

out. The sequel to that story (the one I'm teaming up with him on) is called _The Race: Winner_

 _Take All._ If you all wanna know what that one's about, go ahead and check from the info I gave

you last chapter and/or wait until the Fanfic's release date, 12/28/2016. I'll update you if

anything changes.

Nick has been surprisingly absent from the last few chapters, where is he?

Don't worry guys, he's not dead. The main reason I haven't included him in LITO as much was

because this was always going to be a more SonicxGazelle and JudyxSilver story to begin with

and even though I like Nick, I just can't fit him in _literally_ until the final battle chapter.

 _Record scratches_

Dude, don't stone me, I didn't say Nick wasn't cool. Moving right along…

So tell me some more about the Kyman Klaw.

 _Burn it Down by Skillet plays_

Oh you want me going down about _this_ guy, huh? Well, I'm not gonna tell you too much about

the Klaw because that would dive in _way too deep_ spoiler territory. What I _will_ say those is that

he/she is gonna wreak some havock in the last few chapters.

 _Falling Away by Seven Lions (Festival Mix plays)_

So yeah, thank you all so much for sticking loyal to this story. I will be working on a full chapter

as soon as the holidays wind down, but still. What else can I say? I own none of these songs,

they all belong to their respective owners. Any songs/unoriginal content used in this Fanfic are

for educational and entertainment purposes only. Send me reviews with more questions/positive

criticism/ideas/comments. Until next time though, bye.


	22. LITO Chapter 18: Dreams of Absolution

_Hey everyone! I really hope you all have been enjoying my story over the last few chapters and_

 _the holiday rest I got definitely helped inspire me. Since nobody really had any ideas for this_

 _chapter, I had to create my own idea. This idea was actually inspired by DevinSuperTramp, Owl_

 _City and Matthew Parker. If you don't know who either of them are, DevinSuperTramp is a guy_

 _that makes epic videos in 4K, go ahead and search his Youtube channel to learn more. Owl_

 _City and Matthew Parker are both really amazing music artists whose songs will be featured in_

 _this chapter. (They own their songs, any unoriginal content is used for educational and_

 _entertainment purposes_ only.) _Well, Here we go!_

Love In The Open

Chapter 18: Dreams of Absolution

Judy and Silver spent the next several days trying to navigate their way through the 50 mile

arctic forest terrain to the border that divided Tundratown and Woodsworth; which was the

Ring's main headquarters. Even though their spirits were high, and the resources of food, tents,

water, map and weapons were well provided for by Mr. Big, the road was rather long and

mentally draining trek. Halfway into the next morning, Judy woke her new partner up from his

tent with a special surprise for him. "Hey there partner," She said, rather softly because Silver

was just starting to wake up. Silver got up from his sleeping bag and started to gently rub the

sleep out of his eyes to see his friend offering him a plate of fire-cooked bacon, scrambled eggs

and a vegetable stir fry. Silver got up and then saw that she was able to get Mr. Big's griddle on

top of the fire by using two firewood logs as legs for the griddle to stand on and also discovered

hash-browns as well as more eggs and bacon cooking on the griddle. "I thought I'd make

something special for my special friend, I mean, you are pretty special after all." Judy said, with

no small amount of gratefulness in her heart. Silver stared at the splatter in a contentful state.

He knew that Judy didn't need to impress him anymore. The kindness she showed him at the

bowling alley, the compassion she showed when he saved her family's farm from being

destroyed and the discernment and empathy she displayed at Mr. Big's already proved that

Judy was worth her weight in gold. 48 carrots (pun intended) and moreso. "Well, if I'm that

special, then why don't I find someone equally special to share that with." Silver then scratched

his chin and stared up into the sky pretending to think hard. "If only I knew someone that was

as special as I." He said before looking at Judy who was laughing at his witty comment. She

remembered saying something similar to Nick while she first hustled him into helping out on the

Night Howlers case along with Tails, who needed a planet to test his portal machine on. She

sighed at the happy memories and then turned back to Silver. "Oh, well I'm glad you consider

me as that worthy of eating with someone as noble as yourself." she said as she got a carton of

orange juice from the cooler and poured her and Silver two plastic cups of the drink. They both

"clinked" their cups before eating. "To bunny cops and great adventures." Silver toasted. "To

Silver," she started, before holding his hand and gazing at her friend, "who is one of the greatest

friends I've ever had." Silver nodded in agreement as the two ate their breakfast for the better

part of the hour. Before they packed up however, Judy noticed a leather sack which neither of

them had opened yet. She stared at the bag in suspicion until she saw the name Derrick sewn

on the bag. "Hey Silver," she called out to her companion who was packing the last of the

things, "I think there are somethings you might wanna see." Silver finished up the packing just in

time to see Judy opening up the sack. "What is it?" Silver asked. The duo pulled out two pogo

sticks, a drone, a remote control and 5 round cans of tuna fish. The fish _definitely_ confirmed it

was Derrick that sent the supplies. Silver then noticed something that the duo missed. "Hey

Judy, check this out." he said, opening an envelope from the bear. Judy hopped over to read

the note along with Silver.

" _Hello bunny-bunny. How are you doing? I knew that you and Silver were gonna get bored on_

 _your long trip, so I figured that these would come in handy. And also, I have a nice surprise for_

 _you. The remote control not only tells the drone where to go without hitting stuff, but it also tells_

 _the wheel-pack you have packing your stuff where to go too, so all you have to worry about is_

 _having fun, which is nothing to worry about. Got to go, and good-luck bunny-bunny. Love,_

 _Derrick."_

Judy "awed" at the bear being such a kind friend to her. She told Silver about Derrick while they

were on their trek and he struck Silver as somewhat fascinating and as someone he wanted to

see before he left Zootopia. If he even wanted to leave now. He had a big decision to make on

whether or not to continue to stay in Zootopia or not after this trip, but he knew he wanted to

make it count. That's when Silver had an idea. He set the drone's visual to 4K and then told it

to follow them for the next 15 miles to their location. Judy looked over her partner's shoulder

intrigued at what idea was whirring through Silver's mind as he turned on the drone and got onto

his pogo stick. "Hey Judy? Bet you can't do cooler tricks than me." Judy grinned confidently.

She knew where this was gonna go. "Oooh, you really think so, huh Whitey?" she said, getting

on her pogo as well. The two friends now sharpened their competitive edges for this fun

race/trick contest. "Loser cooks dinner for the winner?!" Silver said, looking with a fierce

competitive look at Judy. "Oh it's on now!" Judy said, accepting the challenge.

 _Shooting Star by Owl City plays from the chorus…_

 _When the sun goes down and the lights burn out, then it's time for you to shine…_

Judy and Silver started their contest doing all sorts of tricks. From bouncing off of trees, to

barrel-rolling, to bouncing off of rocks and doing flips, the two were really pushing each other to

the limit to outperform the other in speed, agility and originality.

 _Whoa, whoa, whoa, brighter than a shooooooooting star, so shine no matter where you are,_

 _tonight._

As they were coming across the final mile, both were mentally pushing themselves to come up

with the best tricks. Silver jumped across a small riverbed by jumping, throwing the pogo

between his legs, caught the handles with one hand and landed on the other side. Judy then

responded by quadruple back-flipping while settling for a simple land to help keep up with Silver.

The two of them were very close to each other now. Silver then ricocheted from one tree to

another, then finally landed while facing the wrong way, performed a backflip, then went back

into the right direction. Judy then decided that the best way to beat her friend in this fun contest

was to perform the trick even better. "Hey Judy, what else you have up your sleeves?" Silver

yelled, scooting out of the way quick enough to let Judy pass then keep back up with her again.

 _A thousand heartbeats beat in time, it makes this dark planet come alive…_

Judy started her first bounce off of a big tree, but then made a fatal error when she ricocheted

into the wrong area of a smaller tree, causing her to bounce off and let go as she was quickly

screeching at a fast speed towards the ground.

 _So when the lights flicker out tonight…_

At that split-second, Silver jumped off the pogo, used his telekinesis to catch Judy from the

ground and also lift her up while spinning towards the beautiful sunset sky.

 _You gotta shine, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine…_

Judy could hardly believe that he was able to save her so quickly. She knew that the pogo

contest, unlike the vengeance intended bowling game the two first competed in, was a contest

solely for fun as she stared at the beautiful view of the rest of Zootopia from this sky view.

 _Shooting Star by Owl City resumes from chorus..._

"Well that was a close call." he spoke out of remorse. "Want me to put you down then we

can finish from there?" Judy then stared at her pure white friend and then stared at the sunset

before looking back at her friend. "You know what? I think I'd rather take in this nice view from

here." Silver then looked at the glorious sunset all around him and mentally agreed with Judy,

soaking in the magnificent colors of red, yellow and pink that painted a masterpiece in the sky

that seemed designed for their enjoyment. Both of them were very tired, so they agreed to

program the drone to follow them the rest of the way and the rc wagon follow them with the

supplies as Silver used his telekinesis to carry her (and the pogo sticks) the rest of the way

towards the next campsite.

 _Song ends._

 _Timeskip...Night_

After the duo both agreed to cook dinner, which also included part of the leftovers from

breakfast, the two were now sitting in front of a crackling wood fire. Silver had to admit he was

enjoying his friend's company more and more with each day passing. He stared up into the

night sky with a wandering mind. He never had this much fun since he hung out with Blaze. His

thoughts shifted between the purple cat and the grey bunny. Both were very ideal companions

for him as both were determined to do what's right despite what others

thought about them in the process. Both also showed loyalty and commitment when he needed

it and also provided good advice for him during life's challenges. But they were different as

Blaze was more of a serious, quiet type while Judy was more of a spontaneous and open friend.

Neither one of those qualities: serious, spontaneous, quiet, open were bad at all, they were just

simply differences. "Thinking about Blaze again?" Judy asked, snapping Silver out of his

trance. He turned around and saw Judy holding the photo of him and Blaze she saw when they

were at Mr. Big's. Silver then thought back to the day where they broke up again. They parted

on good terms, always promising to remain friends, but Blaze told him she needed someone

powerful and regal to reign alongside her for the sake of her people. It wasn't that she hated

him or that he was doing anything wrong, but being the selfless cat she was, she chose to put

her people first. Although Silver understood his friend's intention and was glad at the fact that

they would still be friends, he still came to Zootopia with a sense of disappointment that he

wasn't what Blaze needed him to be, as if he never fulfilled her requirements to be her friend.

Judy then brought out a small guitar and strummed a few notes which turned into a melody of

sorts that accommodated with the crickets chirping and bullfrogs croaking.

 _Matthew Parker's Adventure starts to play…_

" _You and me, we found adventure; I never dreamed that you would change my world forever._

 _But here we are, I'm ready to conquer; Ready to fight injustice like I'm fighting monsters._

 _Hook_

" _Life is black and blue, happy then it's sad, but if you call it an adventure then it ain't so bad."_

 _Chorus_

" _Together we touch the sky, wherever we go we fly, forever we know adventure's in the air_

 _tonight. Together we touch the sky, wherever we go we fly, forever we know adventure's in the_

 _air tonight. Our dreams will come alive."_

 _Song pauses…_

Judy stopped playing her guitar for a second as she thought she turned to see Silver put

something in her tent and then tiredly walk back to his own tent, unzipped it, crawled inside,

zipped it shut and went back to his sleeping bag. She hopped over to her tent and saw that

there was a white envelope with Judy's name written on it. She tore open the envelope and

found a handwritten letter which read…

" _Judy, I would have rather asked you this when we started on our trek or some better time, and I_

 _know I'm a coward for not asking you this myself, but this is the best I can do._

 _I'm not what you would call "boyfriend material." I'm not strong, or smart or_

 _athletic. Let me rephrase; I'm not the strong_ est _or smart_ est _or the most athletic. I'll bet the only_

 _reason I even come close to being that powerful is my special gift. My telekinesis. Judy, Blaze_

 _didn't break up with me because we were on_ bad _terms, in fact we're still friends today and_

 _broke up on_ good _terms. The fact of the matter was that I was never good enough for her. I_

 _was inadequate for what she was seeking and even though she enjoyed our friendship, she_

 _never thought I truly was her type. What I'm asking is, what type of prince are you expecting?_

 _Who was this gallant hero you expect to whisk you away on his golden steed into the sunset?_

 _What was it about him you desired most? Where was he strong? Where was his power?_

 _Because Judy, I don't think I can or ever will be the hero you deserve. And if you agree, just say_

 _so. Know this then. At least I tried._

 _\- Silver._

As Judy finished reading the letter, her heart sank at the thought of her best friend thinking that

he could ever be inadequate for her, when in fact, it was the exact opposite. She quietly tiptoed

across the dirt to open Silver's tent and started to whisper into his ear.

 _Adventure by Matthew Parker resumes_

"Silver. You've never been inadequate. Don't _ever_ think that about yourself, because that is a

lie. You've been more that enough for me, and if you're who I'm going to spend the rest of my

life with, then I couldn't be any more proud of who you are. You wanna know a secret? There

were quite a few bunnies trying to gain my attention _because_ they claimed to be those strong

and powerful heroes with the muscles and the beefy limbs you'd expect. But they were never

my version of a hero. They weren't the princes or the knights who carried off their damsels

in distress. They draw their strength from their compassion and they prove their power through

their commitment. Committing to something bigger than themselves, and Silver, I've known this

adventure was never what you had planned, but you stuck with it. And you're willing enough to

stick with me all this way. You've brightened my spirit, encouraged me, respected my family and

your friends and you've lifted me up when I was falling. Literally and figuratively. So believe me

when I say this," she paused, before blowing a kiss to the sleeping hedgehog, "You are _more_

 _than_ enough for me. Sweet dreams Silver the Hedgehog." she whispered as she went out of

the tent. Silver was unsure if those words were from reality or if they were in a dream because

he was in a deep sleep, but there was one thing he did know. Those were the kindest words

anyone ever said to him.

 _Song ends._

 _Alright y'all, thanks so much for following this story all the way through. When I first started_

 _making this chapter, my first thought was, "What would be a non-cliche thing to do on a date?"_

 _Then I remembered watching a DevinSuperTramp video where he was filming all these_

 _pogo-stick tricksters in 4K and that's where I got the idea for an extreme pogo hangout. As you_

 _may have noticed in this story, when Silver saw Judy, he thought of Blaze and wondered if he_

 _would be capable of fulfilling all of her expectations for him and admittedly, we fall into the same_

 _trapped mindset of thinking as well. Doubting our worth and wondering if we need to balance_

 _ourselves to someone's checklist. But Judy didn't need to set a list of expectations because she_

 _already knew that he would do his best to fulfill them and also because she loved him for who_

 _he was, not what anyone expects him to be. I genuinely think that we should be the "Judy's" if_

 _you will, always extending a hand out to those who are feeling inadequate and reminding them_

 _of how valuable they are and that they don't need to worry about being someone else, but to be_

 _yourself. Well, that's all for now. Shooting Star is owned by Owl City. Adventure is owned by_

 _Matthew Parker. (Any/all unoriginal content is for entertainment/educational purposes only.)_

 _We're heading into the final stretch. The next chapter is gonna be a flashback chapter, meaning_

 _we're gonna spend a chapter in reverse, looking back at an event. In this case, right before_

 _Sonic's friends meet to discuss how and why he got to Zootopia. Until then guys, this is_

 _LoveandEdify. Peace out._


	23. Chapter 19: Relations Restored

_Happy 2017 everyone! Hope you all have an amazing year this year. Anyhow, sorry about the_

 _delay, I've been caught up with school and also doing my other project with Whadup5 I've_

 _mentioned a couple of times. We released our first 3 chapters of our Sonic-MLP Crossover_

 _fanfic entitled, "The Race: Winner Takes All." Do me a favor and go follow and favorite that story,_

 _as well as this one of course. Anyhow, without further delay, here's the first LITO chapter of_

 _2017._

Love In The Open

Chapter 19: Relations Restored (Flashback Chapter)

About 2 hours before Tails's

meeting, Blaze was celebrating the victory with a party in her royal castle along with all of her

subjects. There were streamers almost a mile long covering the royal castle of Blaze's kingdom

and instead of the traditional cannonballs being fired out of the cannons, there were confetti,

balloons and even t-shirts. (Hey, who said they _can't_ have those?) But the glorious festivity was

not limited to the castle alone. In fact, the whole kingdom seemed to be infested with the

celebratory spirit of the night as fireworks went off, festive songs were played and a golden

statute was unveiled in tribute of the victory. In fact, the only one who seemed to _not_ be having

a good time was Princess Blaze herself. She kept thinking back to her last conversation with

Silver and over and over again, she asked herself one question. "Did I do the right thing?" She

looked at the stars and darkness that blanketed the sky, as well as the artificial lights created by

the fireworks. She had seen their pretty lights before from other parties, but this was the first

time they have made her forlorn rather than joyful. She wondered if Silver was somewhere

amongst the townspeople, celebrating and mingling amongst the common folk like he usually

did during these type of festivals. She rose up from her throne for a minute, considering

heading out to find her friend, but then sat back down when she realized that he could be

mourning amongst the happy citizens. And why shouldn't he. Blaze always knew that Silver

was as loyal as they would ever come and along with Sonic, had been one of her best friends

for a long time. The two had been through a lot together since their first adventure defeating the

"Flames of Disaster" or Iblis, as it was formally known. Some times were easy, others hard,

some fun, others tedious; but just like Blaze's mother and father (the king and queen) were

forever loyal to their kingdom, Silver always came through for his cat friend and she always

made sure he received the respect he deserved. For those that made fun of Silver when Blaze

was around? Well, let's just say that the tattoos she gives them aren't made of ice and they

don't wash off. But a lot had changed since the strange alien evil (who called himself Dark

Foxen) stole and manipulated the energy of many citizens of the kingdom (including the king

and queen's) to attack and destroy many buildings; until Blaze and Silver defeated him.

Although he was not destroyed, he surrendered. After this, he pleaded to be sent to the prison

of his choice; Darkahm Asylum on Jailers Boulevard in Mobius. Wishing no more violence on

the people, and being the noble princess (now queen) she was, she agreed. Before the attack,

she always thought that she and Silver were destined to be prince and princess, but after some

thinking after the battle, she realized that Silver's next to none experience in leading royal

procedures were not what a kingdom recovering from an apocalypse-esque disaster needed.

Remembering this seemed to ease her mind, but she still didn't want to lose her best friend

because of what she knew were obligations. "I hope you understand Silver." Blaze internally

thought to herself. Those thoughts were interrupted when someone who appeared to be a

royal messenger appearing to see the new queen. He was rather small for a great dane, but his

heart and loyalty to the crown proved greater than whatever stereotype ever could. "Sir

Bones, what do you have for me?" Blaze asked, as she eyed the dog who was holding one of

Blaze's many smartphones. (Come ON! Being royalty has its perks) and handed it to

Blaze.

 _Transition and Timeskip - an hour later - Tails's house_

Apparently, the phone call Blaze received debunked the next idea for solving her problem.

Next to Silver, Sonic had been her most reliable source of friendship and solid advice. Although

Silver was her closer friend because she saw him more often, Sonic was actually one of the first

friends she made after destroying a combined plot by Eggman and Eggman Nega to destroy

their worlds. It was, because of Sonic, that Blaze learned how to be more open and to put

more trust in the people that cared about her, simply because Sonic first cared about her.

Blaze, Sonic and Silver. The Three Musketeers of the hero world if you will. United they stood,

but divided they could fall. With Blaze not knowing how Silver felt and even the once always

certain Sonic questioning his purpose, Blaze was unsure who to turn to concerning her

dilemma. There all of Sonic's friends were, (except Sonic, who was in Zootopia) waiting for Tails

to arrive to start the meeting. It was then that her friend Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog came

walking up to her trying to find a seat. It's been awhile since she had seen the energetic pink

hedgehog, and although she and Amy weren't enemies because they were both good, you

could say that they were more like acquaintances than friends. The last time she saw Amy, she

seemed to never grow out of her childish mindset. Her boundless energy and endless

enthusiasm annoyed everyone on Team Sonic (Blaze especially). Her one saving grace for

being on the team was her compassionate heart towards others. But about a year ago, Amy

mysteriously disappeared for some reason and now, she must have heard of this meeting from

Tails or someone else on the team. "Hey Blaze." Amy called out, walking towards her. Blaze

was mentally thinking, "Oh no, what's she doing now." but to her surprise, Amy just looked Blaze

straight in the eyes. "How odd." she thought. "No surprise hug, no random blabbering, just

that?" Well, it wasn't exactly just that. "Blaze, I don't know if I told you this, but I'm really sorry

about how uncomfortable I made you all feel over the years." Blaze was utterly shocked. Amy,

the childish goofy girl, was now apologizing to her in a mature and respectful manner? "I

wouldn't have seen it then, but, I guess I'm glad that I know how I drove everybody away with

my stupid childish antics." Blaze was seeing Amy just starting to break down over the fact about

how annoying she had become to the team, and yet, she also saw how mature and honest she

was handling the matter. "I know you're more silent Blaze, and I know we haven't gotten along

since we first met. To think I was thinking you were trying to steal Sonic from me, but now, I

know that none of you were trying to steal him from me. You all wanted the same thing I did. If

only I was more willing to share with you, none of you would hate me right…" That conversation

ended with Amy bursting into tears and collapsing into Blaze's arms. Everyone who heard the

sobs were quickly shooed away when Blaze signaled them to leave with her hand. "It's alright

Amy." she said, doing her best to comfort her. "I know there are a lot of things I wish we could've

changed between us as well. But the important thing to remember is that it's what we do now

that counts. Like how I'm going to forgive you right now and how you're going to do _your_ best,

to become a better Amy Rose." The two broke from their embrace and Amy seemed to cheer

up a bit now. "Thanks Blaze." Amy said, smiling and looking her now friend in the eyes. "And I

will." she concluded. "It's been a while Amy. What happened?" Blaze asked, wanting to

know what came over Amy to lead her to become this mature, yet still compassionate and

empathetic hedgehog. Amy stifled a giggle, then said, "You know Blaze, you wouldn't believe

the things that have happened over the past few years…"

 _Flashback… Green Hill Zone… a year and 3 days ago_

 _Amy Rose was one of those happy-go-lucky individuals who always had a smile on her face and_

 _enthusiasm that seemed to radiate throughout her entire body. A real go-getter, someone who_

 _knew what she wanted and was willing to do anything to achieve it. Although that type of_

 _behavior was what drove people further and further from her, her optimistic spirit was always_

 _what lead her to believe that things would turn out for the better friend-wise. But the one thing_

 _her heart desired seemed to be the most elusive creature, literally and figuratively, she had ever_

 _set eyes on. Sonic the Hedgehog. Ever since Sonic saved her from Robo-Sonic, a metallic evil_

 _clone designed by his archnemesis Dr. Eggman, she couldn't help but want to be with him more_

 _as a "slight" case of puppy love (that lasted for years) slowly grew. Even though he got_

 _constantly annoyed with this new friend chasing him from place to place every so often (and her_

 _immature desire to marry him), he never hated her because she was also a loyal friend who_

 _helped him time and time again. Sonic, who was being chased by Amy throughout the Green_

 _Hill Zone all day long, until Sonic finally ran the opposite direction back towards Amy's country_

 _cottage, which was only a mile from Green Hill Zone. Amy then ran after him again, but_

 _because her legs were already tired, her speed slowed somewhat. Because of her stalled pace,_

 _she was unable to find her prize, her friend, her Sonic. What she_ did _find however, changed_

 _everything. A dark and somewhat sinister fox figure, who was about twice as tall as Amy, was_

 _creating chaos unlike she had ever seen before. He was seeming to make motions similar to_

 _what a hypnotist and a kung-fu master would make, but he was somehow manipulating other_

 _objects around him to lose their composure. The wood composing the Rose Family Cottage,_

 _once young, strong and energetic; now instantly became as dirt as their energy was instantly_

 _sucked out and transferred to his own body. Along with the rest of everything in the house._

 _Picture frame into pile of dirt, windows into sand, ivory keys of a piano turning into dust. Amy_

 _looked to see if Sonic was around, hiding and calculating a plan to confront this new enemy._

 _She wasn't able to find him, but like her friend said, "Nothing starts until you take action, if you_

 _have time to worry, then run." However Amy didn't have time to run, because if this villain was_

 _somehow able to suck up the door to the basement where her family was no doubt hiding, then_

 _her whole family could possibly be destroyed by this threat. Now was not the time to run, but_

 _the time for action. Amy leapt up and attempted a sneak attack to try and whack him with her_

 _giant wooden hammer to get her attention. It worked. She leapt over the creature and clonked_

 _him on the head causing him to lose focus. A split second after that, she backflipped to try_

 _another whack on the creature's head, but the creature recovered a split second faster than_

 _Amy attempted the maneuver and sucked the energy out of the mallet, leaving it into nothing but_

 _micro-sized specs of wood atoms as Amy landed, but noticed she no longer had her hammer._

 _With no way of protecting herself, and the creature staring her in the face with those evil_

 _penetrating icy blue eyes stared into Amy as if he could see deep into her own soul. Still, she_

 _was a fighter, and she steeled herself for death. Surprisingly enough however, the evil creature_

 _held back and moved towards her as if he was approaching an old friend. "You're very strong,_

 _aren't you, Amy Rose?" Amy opened her eyes to see the creature putting his paw on her_

 _shoulder, as if it was trying to reconcile with her for his evil deeds. Amy knew that the creature_

 _was trying to be reasonable although she knew his evil intent, but if she even tried to attack, that_

 _would be considered suicide considering the power this creature possessed. She stood still,_

 _waiting for the creature's next action. He looked over to Amy and then whispered, "Don't worry_

 _my dear, your time hasn't come yet." then he pointed towards the basement door and (yep, you_

 _guessed it) sucked all of the atoms composing it, energy and all. Amy looked in shock, as with_

 _an effortless shove, he punched her and knocked her out cold. When she was revived a few_

 _seconds later, she felt an impulse of energy through her veins that she was unaware of. She_

 _was shocked to see the mysterious creature giving her some of the energy he had stolen. "I'll_

 _bet you're wondering exactly what and how this is happening." the evil fox glared in confidence._

 _Amy watched in horror as in one hand, the fox was powering her with energy while in his other_

 _paw, he held Amy's mother, Darlene with a clenched fist. Without weapons or a way to protect_

 _her family, she was scared stiff. As the evil creature stopped his energy impulse to Amy, he_

 _stared at her again. Amy only mustered up the courage to speak three simple words. "Who are_

 _you?" She asked, trembling on her knees in fear. The creature then somewhat loosened his_

 _grasp on Darlene as he spoke. "I once was a powerful and noble guardian of the Chaos_

 _Temple. A master of energy, psychology and a master of chaos forms that your blue 'crush'_

 _have never known. There was once peace between the citizens of Angel Island and that of_

 _Earth. Once." He paused from his story for one moment then spoke again. "One day, while I_

 _was researching and experimenting with my own brain, I came to discover something strange._

 _By altering my hypothalamus and my sensory nerves, as well as the receptors in my skin and_

 _neurotransmitters, I was able to feel energy in a way I never have before. With a mental_

 _command from my brain, my body could detect an object's energy and suck as much of it out as_

 _I needed to. I was able to give or take as much as I needed to and easily go back to normal_

 _when I wished. This ability was so amazing to control." His arm was_

 _getting tired, so he spiked Darlene to as to give his hand a rest. Amy ran over to her mom who_

 _was weak and low on air lying helpless on the ground as the fox finished his tale. "I started brief_

 _experiments with my new power. From using small inanimate objects to bigger objects with_

 _higher energy, even with non-anthropomorphic animals. Then I realized something." The_

 _creature slowly began absorbing all of the energy from Darlene as both mother and daughter_

 _began to scream for the other as the prideful villain's physique became stronger and stronger._

" _The world could use abilities such as mine for life, joy and economy. But I was not born a_

 _slave. Like the ancestry that was destroyed as I was born, I was meant to be a king. And even_

 _moreso." Amy's tears were falling out of her eyes rather rapidly as she watched in horror, her_

 _mother disappearing in thin air. The fox stopped his rambling to hear a trampled Rose cry_

 _tears of grief. He relished in that very moment, watching another just fall at his mercy. His ego_

 _seemed to be growing more and more pompous with every day and every malicious deed_

 _passing. Amy then turned around to ask the creature one last question. "Well? Aren't you_

 _gonna finish your world domination scheme now?" The fox then knelt before Amy and went_

 _back to the polite fox he pretended to be. "Oh Amy, if I destroyed you now, then I'd be breaking_

 _a promise. More important, a prophecy." "A prophecy?" Amy asked, still teary-eyed and in_

 _disbelief._

 _Flashback ends._

"A prophecy?" Blaze asked, in the same disbelief that Amy expressed that very day. Amy

nodded sadly at her friend. "Yes. He said that the very people that taught him chemistry dug up

an ancient prophecy about, oh, something about chaos, castles, 7 planets, a resistance and the

end of the world, I can't remember it all now." Blaze could tell her friend was about to cry again

so she changed the subject. "So what happened afterwards?" Amy wiped tears that were

about to streak down her face. "I got mad for a bit, really depressed. I needed some time

alone. Of course I went back to find Sonic first, but when I tried finding him, I found this note."

Amy handed Blaze a note which said;

" _Amy, I know how enthusiastic you are, so as my friend_

 _I'm asking you a special favor._ _Stop it! Right now! Quit all of your chasing, all of your_

 _worthless pursuing. I respect you for someone helping me in those tough battles with Eggman,_

 _but now, I've had it with you. You're nothing but a waste of space. So long forever. - Sonic._ "

Blaze was furious with anger but was careful not to let her flames burn the letter. Out of all the

years she had known Sonic, he would never have been that cruel or that heartless towards

anyone. And even if he _was_ annoyed with anyone, he wouldn't have handled it in this type of

fashion. It was then Blaze got an idea. "Come on Amy," she said, running to Tails with her

friend in hand. Amy was confused as to what her friend's intention was. "Where are we going?"

Amy asked. "We're gonna get to the bottom of this my friend." Blaze said with determination. A

few seconds later, she and Amy bumped into Tails, who was mingling with Jet the Hawk and

Wave the Swallow (two personal friends/rivals of Sonic). "Tails, can we see you for a minute?"

Blaze asked. "Of course." Tails asked, then turned to Jet and Wave. "I'll get back to you guys

in a minute, in the meantime, just get settled in." The green hawk turned to Tails and flashed

him a thumbs-up before parting with, "Alright foxy, but hurry it up. Wave and I have more

important things to do today." as he walked towards a refreshments table. "See ya when it

starts shorty." Wave followed up with, using her personal nickname for her rival. "So Blaze, the

meeting starts in about 40 minutes, so what you got there?" he said, pointing to the letter.

Blaze gave Tails a friendly smirk and said, "I think we need to find some penmanship."

 _Transition… Tails's Lab_

They were now in Tails's lab where he put the piece of paper under an invention that looked like

an old-fashioned photocopying machine, but was revamped to be a fingerprint, DNA and

penmanship analyzer. The purpose of this invention was to unmask the true identity of people

who sent messages to them so that they could tell if they were friend or foe. Although the

machine was very useful, then came along the days of email and the machine sat collecting

dust ever since. Until now. "So Blaze, why did you want to found out who wrote this?" Tails

asked out of genuine curiosity. "Well Tails, I think Amy might have been affected by Operation:

Misinformation that year she was gone." Amy scratched her head trying to figure out what was

going on. "Operation: Misinformation?" Amy asked Blaze. Tails answered the question for Amy,

which Blaze didn't mind. "That was an operation Eggman used to send us false information

about his attacks on certain areas of our world, but also sent us false information about things

that we didn't even say to each other but thought we did. Luckily, I was unable to undo

Eggman's hacking, we beat him and now we're all friends again." Blaze then turned to Tails

sternly. "I'm suspecting that the letter Amy was sent from 'Sonic' was actually from Eggman or

one of his cronies during Operation: Misinformation at the post office." Tails nodded as the

machine started to print out the information. On one side was the original written letter, which

Tails read in utter shock and disbelief. "What?! Sonic would never write this!" Blaze turned to

him and said, "Yeah. Probably a leftover part of that old operation since Eggman quit that plan

which we forgot about." "Read the other side Tails." Amy asked, wanting to find out who _really_

wrote that letter. Tails flipped it to the other side (where the writer's true identity would be

printed) and then looked in even more shock. "Blaze, Amy, look at this!" Tails shouted in

exclamation. Blaze and Amy looked in surprise at the two words the computer accurately used

to identify the true writer. Metal Sonic. "So how did that happen?" Amy asked Tails in disbelief.

"I think he delivered that to you as part of Eggman's plot before we shut him down, but since

nobody ever mails anybody anything (except on a few occasions) it was literally under our

radar." Blaze sighed in relief. "Well, at least I was right." Blaze said in content. She then

turned to Tails again. "Thank you so much for helping us. If you'd like, we can help you get

ready for the meeting." Tails blushed at the friendly offer. "Awe thanks guys. I really appreciate

it, but I can handle it just fine. You two can just enjoy yourselves since you two haven't seen

each other in a long time." Amy shook Tails's hand with a proper firm grip, pulled him into a

friendly hug and then let him go. "Thanks Tails." she said with a smile. "You're welcome you

guys." Tails replied.

 _Transition … Back to the Party/Meeting room._

Blaze and Amy went back to the room where they picked out snacks and drinks before the

meeting as well as reserving a few recliner couches Tails had set up for everybody for seating.

The two sat next to each other in silence as they read their phones for the time. 12:40. 20

minutes from beginning. "You know Blaze," Amy began, which caused her purple cat friend to

turn around and look at her. "Maybe it's not a bad thing that I haven't figured out until now that

the letter was from Metal." Blaze looked at her confused. "What do you mean?" Blaze asked,

wondering how not knowing the truth in a situation like this is possible. Amy simply smiled.

"Because if I knew it was from Metal, then I wouldn't have ever made up with Sonic a few days

ago." Blaze was still shocked at the fact she missed Sonic before he went on his trip, but

instead of interjecting again, she decided to listen and see where her friend was going with this.

"After reading the letter, I decided to head out on a vacation for a little bit to get my mind off of

what happened the last few days, but little did I know that I was taking care of orphans in the

nearby planet of Carcalen. Beautiful jungle planet. Almost reminded me of South America on

Earth, except it was _way_ more like an actual jungle with all of the wild animals and the vines and

the trees. There were still a lot of cities, but unlike those greedy businessmen Sonic had to deal

with in South America, these natives were actually living in harmony with their environment. I

was lead to one of the orphanages there by the Head Chief because he said he needed a

nanny for his people's orphans, and of course, I agreed." Blaze simply nodded her head and

let her continue with the story. "Of course I agreed and so for the better part of the year, I was

helping their planet out in several ways. Mainly as their nanny for the orphans but also as an

advisor and chef as well. The natives were all very kind to me, the most kind anyone has ever

been to me. Well, there was this one boy at the orphanage and he was the most sweetest boy

I've ever seen. He was so kind, he baked me some treats, he really enjoyed the stories I told

him about Mobius, he even made me this little gift." Amy handed Blaze a small wooden heart

made of some sticks and twigs in the forest that the young boy painted pink, just like Amy was.

Blaze smiled. "I'll bet he really enjoyed making that for you." Amy chuckled back at her. "Yes he

did indeed. Not too bad for a 10-year-old. He had a little case of puppy love for me and I

thought it was the cutest thing. But when he started to try and 'marry' me and kept asking over

and over and over again, even while I was helping as a maiden for the Chief's wife, I was so

annoyed I had to run away. That's when it hit me. The reason why Sonic was always running

from my proposal was because it had gotten so annoying and came so fast, he never even

wanted to hear about it; just like I didn't want to hear about it from this guy with puppy love. Just

like me, his ambition, his go-get-it attitude wasn't a bad thing, in fact it was great, but if it's not

controlled or contained, then the people around you are gonna get annoyed as well." Blaze was

impressed with Amy's overall experience from the trip positively impacting her. She still had her

empathy, enthusiasm and determination; but it was all now under control and also allowed for

maturity to set in which helped improved her well-being socially around her friends as well.

"Wow Amy, it seems like you learned a lot from the trip." Blaze said with a content smile on her

lips. Amy smiled, happy that her friend was happy. "Yep I did. The whole trip has taught me about a

lot of things I needed to improve about myself, not just

around Sonic, but everyone else too. I now know that enthusiasm's great, but if you let it out too

much, not everybody's gonna wanna be around." Blaze

dropped her head down low at the thought of how she and the other members of the team treated

Amy. She had her quirks, that's for sure, but there were a

lot of good things about her as well. Even though sometimes her light-hearted optimism got out of

hand, Blaze had to admit, Amy's enthusiasm was a major

motivator to the team and optimism like that found in her and Sonic, is one of the reasons why this

team had remained closely-bound over the years. This

made Blaze feel even more terrible about how the rest of the gang treated her. Even though they

weren't hateful or malicious towards her, because she was still

their friend and ally, they were chatting behind their backs about how annoying it was, and although

they did their best not to let their annoyance at this issue

get to them, it pushed some members of Team Sonic closer to the edge than others, Blaze admittedly

being one of them. "What's wrong Blaze?" Amy asked

politely, noticing her friend now had a forlorn look on her face. Blaze stared at Amy for a minute and

observed that she was genuinely concerned about her

well-being in this moment, but she didn't want to let that get in the way of Amy finishing her tale.

"Sorry Amy, I guess my mind was elsewhere." Blaze said,

hoping that would appease her friend's concern. "Please, go on, how was the rest of your trip?" Blaze

asked. Amy knew that there was something wrong, but

she chose to finish her story first, then ask Blaze what was bugging her. "Well, the rest of the trip was

great. I was able to tell the little boy to stop chasing

me, but we still ended up being good friends, as well as with the rest of their tribe. I really felt like I

was part of their family. Helping teach schools, teaching

some of the natives how to cook more elegantly, even helping the main caretaker of the orphans

recover from her illness. I really left knowing I found another

family to call home." Blaze's head dropped again in guilt and sadness over the fact that while this tribe

treated her like a queen, her closest friends treated her

like dirt. Before she knew it, the usually introverted Blaze caved in to despair as she collapsed into

Amy's waiting arms. Now, for all you guys that enjoy seeing

rarely seen before moments, this is one moment you'd need to pay attention to. Blaze let her

emotions overcome her. Now if that is a rare moment usually

never seen, then I don't know what other moment there would be. Go ahead, I'm waiting...

Alright, sorry, getting back to the story now. As Blaze was bawling out her guilt and shame, Amy was

dumbfounded at why her usually ironclad friend was

letting herself get rusty from all the tears she shed. She knew that just like she wanted to be listened

to, she needed to wait until Blaze was willing to share the

reason behind her immense sorrow. "I'm sorry we were never a better home to you. I'm sorry we've

never been a better family."

 _Diamonds by Hawk Nelson plays_

Amy then knew what her

friend was trying to elaborate to her. That Blaze felt terrible for all those times she didn't stick up for

her, all those times she actually _joined in_ on the rumors

and gossip which she witnessed. But even though she had been severly cut by how she had been

treated, this diamond now shone bright and beautiful within

Amy Rose. It was that pressure, those moments of pain and utter suffering that shaved the thorns off

the rose and made her into a beautiful flower that

bloomed as bright as the sun. "It's ok Blaze," she responded. "I know you all were getting annoyed

with how I acted towards you all, and I get it. It's fine to

be irritated. But instead of letting our differences define us, we use that criticism and heartache to

make ourselves better. To make our team better." she then

lifted her friend up on her feet and smiled at her just when Blaze's teary eyes opened to see the

forgiveness radiating from within her. "To make our friendships

better." Blaze now cried in happiness and in relief that her friend showed forgiveness. _Real_

forgiveness. Not the one that holds a grudge, not the kind that

offers conditions, but the real forgiveness that shows that it's over and done, it's time to move on and

only get better from there. That, was what these two

friends experienced.

 _Song Ends_

After breaking from their hug, Blaze asked Amy another question that piqued her interest after she finished her story about her vacation.

"So tell me though, did Sonic forgive you?" Blaze asked. Amy looked at her phone, 12:45, still

plenty of time to tell another tale. "Well Blaze, let me tell you…"

 _Flashback 2 … Wave Ocean … a year after the first flashback._

 _Sonic was lounging on the boardwalk watching the seagulls fly over his head as he pondered_

 _about the meaning of life, well, the meaning of his life anyway. He stared into the beautiful_

 _sunrise just trying to relax, but the weight of his mind made it too heavy for him. "Aw man, I_

 _haven't felt this unmotivated since Tails and I had that sniffing-the-stinkiest-sock contest when_

 _we were 7. Sonic shaked his body as if trying to shake off the horrible and embarrassing_

 _memory. "Could this situation get any worse?" He then saw a cruise ship coming onto the dock_

 _and saw Amy waving towards him from on the deck. "Yoohoo, Sonic!" she yelled from the_

 _deck. Sonic facepalmed, hopped on a racing bike and rode rapidly out of there. Little did Sonic_

 _know that Amy was not wanting to antagonize him today. "Wait Sonic!" she shouted, with guilt_

 _on her face. Then, all of the sudden, she saw the bike stand right on the boardwalk next to the_

 _chilidog stand, a sure sign that Sonic was there. Amy ran to the bike stand and being the first_

 _one there, she asked the salesman, "How much are the bikes?"_

 _(In the Flashback) Timeskip … 5 minutes later_

 _(La Bicicleta by Carlos Vives and Shakira plays)_

 _Sonic was riding around the city center trying to avoid Amy, but as he turned around to see Amy_

 _chasing him on her own bike, Sonic quickly had a bad feeling about this. He rode around the_

 _town and the boardwalk as quick as his supersonic legs would take him, but unlike on land,_

 _where he can juke and jive naturally enough to go his speed and still not bump into anybody,_

 _turning the bike while going at a fast speed proved to be a challenge as he bumped into a lot of_

 _people causing him to eventually give up and put on the brakes. "Fine Amy, I give up. What is_

 _it?" Sonic asked in a rather grumpy tone. Amy had her apology speech ready. "Listen Sonic, I_

 _know that I'm probably the last girl you wanna see right now, but I need to apologize for what_

 _I've done to you over the last few years. I've let my immature desires and passions get in the_

 _way of seeing how_ you _would feel about me." Amy was practically in tears now as Sonic turned_

 _to face her. "I've seen and now know how you feel about me constantly coming after you. So_

 _whether you forgive me or not, know this. I'll always love you Sonic, no matter what." Sonic_

 _then threw on a signature smirk as he saw her friend's head hang low. "Wow. I never knew you_

 _caught on that fast. I've always loved you too Amy, but as a friend. That's why you freak me_

 _out every time you chase me. Not because I don't wanna be with you, but because I don't want_

 _to marry you. You'll always be my friend Amy Rose." the two friends embraced and then broke_

 _the embrace. Aamy then had one final question for the blur. "Where were you when the_

 _Zoroark creature killed my mom a year ago?" "Zoroark creature?" Sonic asked, rather confused._

" _What Zoroark creature?" Amy then attempted to remind him, "The one that killed my mom while_

 _you were running from me." Sonic then scratched his chin. "Huh, I think I ran so fast that day, I_

 _didn't even hear or see it happen because I didn't look back. Sorry I wasn't there for you." Amy_

 _hugged Sonic again. "It's ok Sonic, I'm just glad you didn't want to leave me when I needed_

 _you." "Are you kidding Ames?" Sonic asked, using a new nickname for her, "I'll always be there_

 _to help my friends. Just make sure you call me before I speed past you again, ok?" Amy_

 _nodded, happy that her friend would always be there for her no matter what._

 _Flashback ends. Song ends._

"You know Amy, maybe you could help me out with a problem I got about romance." Blaze

asked after hearing the whole story. "About you and Silver?" Amy asked. "Yes. Here's what

happened." Blaze responded

 _Timeskip … 10 minutes until the meeting._

"Wow, I can't believe we were both threatened by the same creature a year apart." Amy said in

shock. "I know, right?" Blaze pointed out before turning back to her main topic. "The thing is, I

want Silver to be happy with whichever girl he'd choose, but I don't wanna sound like I'm

jealous." Blaze said. Amy then immediately got out her communicator and walked Blaze into

the bathroom. "Ok Blaze, whatever you want to say to him, he'll hear when he's ready." Amy

told Blaze with confidence in her eyes. The two embraced for a second before Blaze whispered

"Thanks for being a great friend Amy." Amy then returned the compliment with "Hey, you're a

great friend as well. Now say what you wanna say to Silver before the meeting starts." She

spoke all of what she wanted to convey into the communicator and Amy sent it to Silver _just_

before the meeting started.

 _Well guys, there you have it. My first Flashback Chapter and my first chapter of 2017. Anyhow, shoutout to Whadup5 for teaming up with me on "The Race: Winner Takes All" do us both a favor and follow/favorite and send a review to that awesome story as well as LITO, which is (in my opinion) another awesome story. La Bicicleta is owned by Carlos Vives and Shakira and Diamonds is owned by Hawk Nelson (any unoriginal content is used for educational and entertainment purposes only) Also, I saw this coming, to answer SuperKamek34's question. (Shoutout to him too by the way) this chapter is vital to the next one because the next chapter is the first of the two concluding chapters of Silver and Judy's story. This chapter plays an important part in whether Silver chooses to date/court Judy or not._

 _One more thing, special shoutout to Chimichangar for reading and following up on this story and reminding me I had a few holes to fill in this chapter. One of his stories I would follow is his Sonic-Zootopia crossover Broken Glass (which is now completed) but also his Cars story Cars: Lightspeed. Go and follow all three of these awesome Fanficers I mentioned here, I'm sure they (and I) would really appreciate that._

 _Signing off until next time, Keep loving, keep edifying, Keep LoveandEdifying. LoveandEdify out._


	24. Chapter 20: Falling Stars Falling Hearts

_Normally, I would start by announcing stuff, but I know why you're all REALLY here. You wanna_

 _get to the_ GOOD _stuff. Where the_ important _questions are answered. Would SilvHopps ever be_

 _a thing? Is Sonic ever gonna find his purpose? Who is the mysterious Kyman Klaw and will the_

 _Ring ever be destroyed? Oh you'll get the answers mi amigos. Starting, with Silver and Judy._

Love In The Open

Chapter 20: Falling Stars, Falling Hearts

As Silver slept in his cot that night, he let Judy's words resonate in his mind. " _You are_ more

 _than enough for me._ " Silver wondered if she really meant that, or if his weary mind was carrying

him to some kind of far-off fantasy where everything turned out to be ok. He knew that sooner

or later he had to make up his mind. Stay in Zootopia and take the one chance he had with

someone who had proven to be so invaluable to him or go back to Mobius and have an even

slimmer chance at finding someone. Either way, it seemed like he would lose. If he stayed, he

would never know what Blaze would think of his actions; if he went back after the mission, he

would regret missing out on what would have been a perfect opportunity to start anew. He knew

that before making _any_ type of decision, they had to destroy the Ring once and for all. Silver

then got up and checked his watch. 1:00 a.m. He checked to see if Judy was awake. She

wasn't. She laid comfortably in her sleeping bag and cot. Silver smiled at the thought of

watching his friend be so peaceful and calm. He wondered what she was dreaming about right

this minute. Friends back home? She and him? The future? The past? It could be anything.

Silver put these thoughts to bed (pun intended) as he spotted bats flying right above him. That

gave him an idea. He decided to let Judy sleep as he used his telekinesis to fly and wrangle the

bats, who he correctly identified as spies for the Ring. Then he also decided to get inside the

main HQ (which was a giant technical infrastructure in the woods) by himself. He

took out a few guards which were mainly nocturnal animals that were

placed in order to give the daytime ones some sleep. Using his powers, he had already

overtaken half of the Ring. All he had to do was get to the inside of the main control center,

disable the main computer and then the whole organization would be destroyed. Except for

one little problem. As he turned to get to the infrastructure, he turned to see a most frightening

sight. The figure was the same height as Silver, but obviously more powerful. The dark black

ninja suit this wolf was wearing, came clad with a utility belt containing throwing stars,

nunchucks, a pistol, a dagger, his phone and had two samurai swords strapped to his back. His

swords blades were so sharp, that not even the strongest steel could stand against its mighty

craftsmanship and the length of the blades were almost as long as an elephant's tusk. The

mask he wore shown two blue eyes glaring at Silver from them. This must have been one of

the wolf ninjas Sonic had told him about. "So, where are the rest of your friends? Or is it just

you?" Silver asked, unfazed by his opponent's weaponry and size. The wolf gave an evil

chuckle, "Oh don't worry Silver the Hedgehog" he said in a condescending tone, "Your friend

already took care of my friends at that pitiful concert he was at." To say Silver was surprised

was a vast understatement. "How do you know my name?" Silver asked. "Oh, I know _all_ about

you guys. I read about you in this book." the ninja said, tossing a heavy book back at Silver,

entitled _Worlds Beyond: Planets and What You Need To Know_. "You see Silver, you're not

dealing with an ordinary wolf here. One of your friends conveniently dropped this off for me as

soon as he left." As if a connect-the-dots game finished at Sonic's speed, he suddenly realized

who this threat was. "You're…" before Silver could finish, the ninja grabbed Silver's throat and

then slammed him against the wall. "You shall not reveal my true identity here, for you are not

worth to speak it." the ninja spoke in a much darker tone than before. " _I_ am the Kyman Klaw

and you shall witness the full power of my…" before the Kyman Klaw could speak again, his

security system went off. He then felt his paw loosening and Silver breathing on his face, then

Silver turned, kicked the ninja in the kidneys, which forced him to let go and escape. Silver then

held up his own smartphone. "Pretty cool how I was able to trigger the alarm system just by

making a simple call in your tight security system. No doubt you'd quake at the alarm and then

the rest just clicked, am I right, or am I right?" The cockiness Silver was starting to display really

irritated the Klaw so much that his blood was boiling in rage with every word that Silver spoke.

"Now, let's finish this, shall we?" Silver said, as he used his powers to remove all of the

weapons and the phone from his opponent except for one sword. Silver kept the other sword

for himself. "So, you fight in the code of honor?" the wolf asked, miserably failing to inspire any

fear in his opponent's courageous eyes. "It will die tonight, as will you!" he shouted as the two

enemies started a fight to the death.

 _Oh boy, this is gonna take a while… let's see what happened to Judy during all of this._

Judy, unlike Silver, was very much sound asleep and eagerly anticipating heading out to battle

with him. She had done a lot of thinking over the last few hours. Usually, her mind was focused

on the case at hand, but strangely enough, that wasn't the case. Her main thoughts this time

were on her crush. As a police officer, Judy's first priority was always to

serve and protect her city and also to make sure that justice prevailed. She had always been an

individual who wouldn't just stand by when someone was being harassed, tortured or bullied;

but always did her best to arrive to either resolve the situation or prevent it from getting worse.

As mentioned before, her heart was worth her weight in gold, but like all heroes, even she has

her flaws. On her very first case, predators all around Zootopia had gone savage and she was

reluctantly assigned by Chief Bogo to find one of the predators. After following her only lead, a

newspaper picture of him getting a pawpsicle from then-hustler Nick Wilde, she met a strange

two-tailed fox named Tails, who happened to be from another world entirely, who agreed to help

solve the case along with Judy and Nick (who was "hustled" by Judy into helping them.) After

finding not just one, but all 12 missing predators and the animal responsible, then-mayor

Leodore Lionheart, who despite his good intentions to try and cure these animals, did so without

notifying anyone else which lead to his arrest. After the arrest, the ZPD hosted a press

conference to provide the public with details about the case. Since Judy was the main officer

that found all of the missing predators, she was the one to speak at the conference. Although

she felt like her pals deserved more credit than they were given, Nick and Tails were more than

content with the roles they played. However, after the press conference, things went a little aury

from there…

 _Flashback… ZPD Headquarters… Right after the press conference_

 _Nick: "'Clearly, there's a biological component?'" "'These predators may be reverting back to_

 _their primitive savage ways?'" "Are you serious?"_

 _Judy: "I just stated the facts of the case. I mean it's not like a_ bunny _can go savage."_

 _Nick: "Right, but a fox could huh?"_

 _Judy (concerned): "Nick, stop it. You're not like them."_

 _Nick: "Oh there's a_ them _now."_

 _Judy: "You know what I mean, you're not_ that _kind of predator."_

 _Nick (agitated): "The kind that needs to be muzzled?! The kind that makes you think you need to_

 _carry around fox repellent?"_

 _Judy looked at her officer belt and then remembered the fox repellant her parents gave her in_

 _case any foxes tried to bully her like Gideon Grey did when she was 9. Although she didn't_

 _have a public dislike for foxes after the ordeal, her parents insisted on at least having something_

 _to protect herself from a "savage" fox in case one attacked her again. Even though she always_

 _carried it in case such an event would occur, Nick and Tails proved that they would never be the_

 _type to attack her. So why was this encounter, or more appropriately, this conversation even_

 _Happening?_

 _Nick: "Yeah, don't think I noticed that little item the first time we met."_

 _Nick referred to when she and Tails met him while he was making a con and how he was_

" _hustled" if you will, into helping them._

 _Nick (condescending): "So, let me ask you a question. Are you afraid of me?"_

 _Judy looked at him in shock, not believing what her friend was asking and how he was asking._

 _It flashed her back to when Gideon tried to intimidate her when she was trying to protect a friend_

 _from him bullying her. This almost seemed like deja vu to her. Nick wouldn't actually go as far_

 _to attack her as well, would he?_

 _Nick: "Do you think I might go nuts? Do you think I'm gonna go savage? You think I might try_

 _to...EAT YOU?!"_

 _When Nick surprisingly lunging at her rapidly with those last two words, she put her hand close_

 _to the repellant like a cowboy would do in a western in case the outlaw tried to shoot. Nick then_

 _looked at her with shock, followed by sadness and disbelief._

 _Nick (despondent): "I knew it."_

 _Judy then looked to see what she had done._

 _Nick (despondent): "Just when I thought somebody actually believed in me."_

 _Nick then walked off handing Judy a piece of paper._

 _Nick: "Probably be best if you don't have a_ predator _as a partner."_

 _Judy looked to see the paper that Nick had signed. It was the application process form that_

 _Judy handed him to fill out before the conference. She was shocked to see that the paper was_

 _almost completely filled. He was_ this _close to becoming her partner on the force. What shocked_

 _her even more were the footsteps she heard coming behind her._

 _Tails (sarcastically): "Wow, hey everyone, it's Officer Hopps. The one who saved our city from_

' _savage' predators and kept a mysterious and no doubt 'dangerous' alien from causing total_

 _destruction."_

 _Judy turned to see Tails standing in front of her, appearing not the least bit impressed at her_

 _actions towards Nick. He was now slowly clapping his hands as he was mocking an applause._

 _Tails (cont.): 'The one who put her own personal feelings aside so that we may all remain safe."_

 _Judy had her head held down as she was reminded of how poorly Nick had been treated, but_

 _being an outsider, Tails experienced disappointment in his whole quest. The fact that he_

 _apparently wasn't trustworthy to his first friend, the one who was kind enough to let him help her_

 _out saving Zootopia while being able to explore it, stabbed him deep in the heart. Even though_

 _sometimes back on Mobius his friends said his ideas were crazy, but he still had proven himself_

 _a trustworthy friend and ally to them. But to someone who he did absolutely_ no _wrong to? This_

 _was too far. Even for the ever-loyal Tails. To cap it all off, Tails lifted Judy's head to meet his_

 _and then grasped Judy's right paw with his own._

 _Tails (cont.): "Thank you for being all I_ don't _want to be."_

 _Judy hopped after Tails, stopping him for a bit before he left._

 _Judy (anxious): "Tails wait!"_

 _Tails turned to Judy for a brief moment._

 _Judy (cont.): "All of those things I said at the conference, with Nick, I didn't mean any of it."_

 _Tails (angrily): "Then what_ did _you mean?"_

 _Judy started to speak then realized what was happening. She was letting her prejudice towards_

 _predators, something she was unaware she possessed until now, resurface. She couldn't think_

 _of what to say to Tails without making things worse, so she said nothing._

 _Tails (sternly): "That's what I thought. If I'm so untrustworthy, then why would you be friends_

 _with me in the first place?"_

 _Flashback ends._

After that incident, the public were lead to believe that predators were nothing but savage ticking

time bombs that could explode on prey at any moment. The city went from being diverse and

united to fearful and divided. After feeling guilty about letting her prejudice get in the way of two

potential friendships and after realizing that she also took a wrong turn on the Night Howler case

(as it was now known) she apologized to Nick and Tails for her behavior towards them and the

trio had gotten to the bottom of the case when providing evidence that Acting Mayor Dawn

Bellwether, a small sheep who was tired of the world looking down on her, was behind the

savage attacks by letting her shoot Nick with a weapon that turned any predator savage.

Although it seemed that Nick was seriously going to eat Judy, the two stopped the facade long

enough to reveal the real plan. Tails swapped out the serum with some blueberries from Judy's

family's farm when Bellwether wasn't looking. Bellwether of course denied all of this, but when

Judy replayed the sheep's plot through her carrot-shaped pen/recorder and Tails sealing the

deal even further by showing her video evidence caught by a camcorder he hid in the museum,

the ZPD arrived just in time to arrest Bellwether and restore the city back to a state of unity. She

reflected on that moment from a few days ago. Before Tails left for Mobius, he promised her

that he would be coming back soon. What she didn't expect was Sonic to come back first. The

past few days have been a blur for our rabbit hero. Even though she had just known her new

friends for a brief period of time, they were already seeming to become like family to her. All of

them were special in their own way. Nick was very street smart and knew how to handle himself

well in any type of situation and because she helped him see that he could change if he wanted

to and not be limited by the box others tried to put him in, he displayed the utmost commitment

to their friendship. When she first met Tails, she had to admit, the fact that he was an alien kind

of set her off somewhat, but once he proved just how clever, useful and dependable of a friend

he could be, she cherished him with a great deal of trust and respect. Although it took Tails a

little longer to forgive Judy than Nick did (because he was never used to someone saying he

was untrustworthy behind his back) he came to realize that she really did trust him and

remembered from past experiences with Sonic, that even the closest of friends have issues to

work on to improve themselves and their trust is now rebuilt. According to Tails, Sonic was a

free-flowing individual whose ways were like the wind. Fast, furious, quippy, open, did

everything to make sure he and his friends were ok. She didn't see too much of that side of

Sonic, but when he _did_ indeed put those attributes on display, Judy knew who Sonic really was.

A great guy who was facing the same intense pressures any hero on a mission would face. She

felt some sympathy for the speedy blue hedgehog because besides both being similar, the both

felt the weight of the world on their shoulders. She made a mental note to try to get to know

Sonic a little more before he left. Being one of Silver's friends, Sonic might have had some

good advice on how to get to know him better; but she decided to let both of them get back to

their situations at hand. Thoughts in her head sorted out for now, she finally woke up from her

slumber. "Hey Silver, you up and moving yet?" she whispered from her tent. She got ready,

Putting her ZPD uniform over her pajamas. Oddly enough, her partner didn't respond. She

called for him again. Silence. Being the optimistic bunny she was, she assumed that Silver was

simply overtired from the previous day's fun of pogo-sticking and friendly bonding, so she '

decided to head out and go wake him up, but the surprise coming towards her, would wake _her_

up instead. As she got out of the tent, she saw hundreds of the largest and strongest mammals

she had ever seen. Wolverines, honey badgers, cougars, rhinos, arctic wolves, elephants,

falcons, moose, grizzlies and more. And that was just a small contingent of the awesomely

powerful (yet misguided) contingent of powerful animals known as the Clawed Ring. And even

though their physique were so powerful they most likely didn't _need_ weaponry, they were

strapped to the teeth with some of the most dangerous weaponry of all time. Shotguns, rifles,

Beretta M9's, MK 19 grenade machine guns, MK16 scars, M72 anti-armor weapons, and M249

automatics. It wasn't just guns they had, but also knives, daggers, swords, axes, and all of

them were as sharp as a predator's teeth. To say that Judy wasn't terrified of these brutes, was

a lie; but to say that she let herself become petrified is also a lie. One of the criminals, a rabbit

with a bandana over his mouth walked over to Judy holding a pistol to her and removed his

bandana to look her in her fearful shocked eyes. "Dick?" she stammered, staring in disbelief

that her adopted brother would join sides with such evil. "In the fur sweetheart." Judy remained

speechless about her brother as her eyes searched for any remorse in her brother. There was

none. Instead, there seemed to be hate, anger and malice. "What?" Dick spat out with anger.

"Not even a 'hi, how are you?' That's _just_ like you Judy." he said, continuing to berate her with

Malcontent. Judy still worked up the courage to look him in the face and ask him sternly, "Why

did you leave our family?!" Although the words were sharp, Dick was left unchanged.

"Hmmm… let's see…" Dick said, thumping his foot rapidly, pretending to think hard. "Oh yes, I

remember, it had something to do with _this_!" Dick shouted, flashing what happened to be

some kind of file across her face. Judy opened it and then noticed a few pictures in there. One

of a family portrait that was taken a couple of years before Dick was adopted, another picture of

her when she received her final grade for trying out for the ZPD, a newspaper clipping that

showed her saving the day during the Night Howler case, a picture from the party the town gave

her a couple of days before she left to stop the Ring and a golden carrot necklace. (This time,

there's no pun intended. It's a carrot necklace that has a weight in carats. Get it?) "I don't

follow you." Judy stated, rather confused at what all of this had to do with Dick's sudden turn to

evil. Dick grabbed Judy by the shoulders and shook her around. "Don't get it, don't _get_ it?!

You have embarrassingly stripped my honor away from me continually. You're the most

discussed thing at my stunt driving shows, everybody has to tell at least, I don't know, maybe

one or two or _twenty_ Judy Hopps storiesduring my football games, and I swear I can't go

around one house in my own hometown without seeing _some_ kind of memorabilia about you!."

As Dick was nearing the end of his ranting, Judy then realized how much bigger the fragments

of the picture were. The world as a whole, were composed of individual citizens doing their best

to make it go round; and unified citizens would strive to make their world whole. Sometimes

people focus too much on the small details of life to really focus on the big picture; while others

(like Judy) were focused too much on the gigantic whole to focus on those that made it go round

to begin with. Dick, was a shattered fragment in Bunnyborrow. Sure he was different, he was

adopted after all, but she out of anybody knew that every life is important, even the ones that

seem meaningless can be the most meaning _ful._ Dick then turned back to Judy. "These right

here? These guys?" Dick said, pointing to his cohorts. "They're not here for this mystical,

magic, mumbo jumbo that's been spoken about in this freakshow. They're here to get what they

came for, to redeem themselves by proving to society that they deserve their fair share." Dick

then brought a huge silverback gorilla towards Judy. "Take a look at Bonzo here. Before his

injury, before you were born even he was one of Zootopia's heavyweight boxing champ. Now

he's injured and when he came back, even as he was rattling the cages out of everybody, they

all had to look to the younger generation for inspiration just as he wanted to become one

himself." He then pulled a female lynx from the group, whose claws seemed like rubies and

were sharp as knives. "Sasha here wanted to be a dancer, she was beautiful, amazing…" "Your

dream girl" Bonzo whispered to Judy. "GET BACK IN HERE!" Dick shouted to him, forcing the

gorilla to go back into the crowd while everyone else (with the exception of Dick) laughing at

Bonzo's statement. Sasha then unsheathed her ruby claws and started walking towards Judy

as if she was trying to dance with her. "Not everybody could handle the rebel tomgirl in me, and

not everybody enjoys whatever underrated qualities our brotherhood cherishes inside us,"

Sasha's words were purely mesmerising, like a siren who gradually leads her victims closer and

closer to the illusion so many seek in life. "But let me tell you something Officer Hopps," she

said, saying the last two words in a somewhat French accent as she drilled a small hole in her

back with her claw, "when you mock one of us," she then turned Judy's back to Dick who was

now shooting a few tranquilizer pellets into the hole Sasha made with marksman accuracy, "then

you face the wrath of _all_ of us!" Dick finished, growling the rest of the words.

The rest of the hundred were about to fire more tranqs at her, but Dick raised his paw to cease

the fire. "The Klaw wants her alive. Don't shoot." were the last words Judy heard before

succumbing to the tranq's effect.

 _An hour later… in the Ring's HQ_

Judy then woke up to see Dick's paw on her head keeping it low and Sasha holding her back to

make sure she couldn't rise. "Rise." a deep dark voice bellowed. When Dick and Sasha let her

go, she rose up to see where she was at. She was inside a mechanical thinktank, or the Ring's

main computer room (which had the looks and feel of a royal castle of an emperor.) She also

saw a warrior wearing a ninja suit sitting on a grand ruby throne. She assumed that this figure

was the Kyman Klaw. She was right. "Don't worry my little friend," the Klaw spoke, with the

most sarcasm. "Your friends at the ZPD, _and_ your new alien friends, will fall under my powerful

grasp." "Not while I have a breath in my body." Judy retorted, trembling but not letting fear get

the better of her. "Silver…" "Is dead." the Klaw interrupted, finishing a sentence he was about

to say. Judy was now prone on the ground with tears in her eyes as the pain of those words

seeped into her heart. "What?" Judy whispered/sobbed as reality started to soak in. "You heard

me Judy." the Klaw stated matter-of-factly. "Silver the Hedgehog is dead."

 _And we're outta time for this chapter. Giving you all a heads-up, the contents of that scene from the movie Zootopia is owned by Disney. (The edited conversation between Tails and Judy is mine though. Any unoriginal content is used for entertainment and educational purposes only.) Giving you all a heads-up, it's gonna be a while for the next chapter, maybe a month or so to try and get me caught up schoolwise and also for my other project with Whadup5, "The Race: Winner Takes All" go check that one out, it's awesome. But until next time guys, hey, it's only gonna be a month. ;-) Enjoy the suspense and as always. Keep Loving, Keep Edifying, Keep LoveandEdifying. Ciao._


	25. Chapter 21: Heartbreak

_(Skillet's "Back From the Dead" plays…)_

 _("I'm ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-back, I'm ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-back…")_

 _What's up guys? Miss me? Awe now, come on, don't give me that look, I had to step away for_

 _longer than expected because I was really sick lately and also, have you guys ever done a_

 _science fair project before at a pre-college level? Alright though. If this is the first time you've_

 _read this fanfic or you have a tough time remembering, here's what happened._

 _(Music pauses….") Alright, so Sonic is having a tough time finding his purpose as a hero after_

 _he feels like he doesn't know why he should continue heroic escapades, so his pal Tails sends_

 _him on a vacation to the urban jungle of Zootopia where he first met officers Judy Hopps and_

 _Nick Wilde at a concert for their beloved singer Gazelle. What the cops don't know and what_

 _Sonic did is that there were 4 wolf/ninja/assassins hiding on the spotlight frame, which Sonic_

 _licked in record time. After taking an interest in this mysterious stranger, Gazelle invites Sonic to_

 _her desert mansion to stay for a while. After struggling with vulnerabilities for a bit, she took_

 _Sonic to the Phoenicia Shopping Center to unwind for a bit when they ran into Silver and Tails._

 _Some time later, Judy and Nick invited the gang for bowling where Sonic and Gazelle bumped_

 _into her old crush, Justin Timberwolf while Silver found a new friend on his own with Judy. After_

 _bowling, the gang went out to the Cash Cow restaurant before Sonic got food poison and_

 _realized that this was the work of a century-old cult known as The Ring. Although Sonic was up_

 _and ready to go, Police Chief William Bogo warned him not to return to action until he was_

 _mentally healed, which Sonic reluctantly agreed to. However, things spiral downhill when_

 _Gazelle finally realizes her feelings for the blur, which lead Justin to advise her to let Sonic go off_

 _on his own despite the fact she promised to help. However, before she could break the news,_

 _Sonic left her a little video on his phone revealing he heard and seen the whole conversation._

 _Meanwhile, in Judy's hometown of Bunnyborrow, a celebration in her honor was interrupted by_

 _an attack by the Ring that destroyed the Hopps Family Farm. But thanks to Silver and Sonic,_

 _the approaching army was destroyed and the rest of the town was saved in record time._

 _After this, the blue blur went to see renown psychologist Molly Mongoose for advice and took_

 _her tip and went camping in the woods for a vacation. On the opposite side of said woods, Judy_

 _and Silver were inching closer to the Ring's HQ. Worried about their safety when he saw_

 _bat-spies flying above them, he fought them off himself getting all the way to a battle royale with_

 _the leader of the Ring, the Kyman Klaw, leaving his partner alone to be captured and knocked_

 _out by the Ring's associates. When she came too, it was revealed that Silver was killed in the_

 _battle royale._

 _Ok, now let's get back to our story. Enjoy._

Love In The Open

Chapter 21: Heartbreak

"This can't be…" Judy stuttered, shedding tears, still trying to get used to the reality of the idea

that her friend, the one she loved, had died. "Hahahahahaha… it's called reality sweetheart."

the Klaw reverberated in a darker more condescending tone than before, "and I know that you

will eventually succumb to it, but to help you out…" he motioned towards the same contingent

that helped capture her earlier. "Take her to Chamber 147!" he said, with an evil chuckle that

told Judy that Chamber 147 was not exactly the best place in the prison.

 _Scene Change… Chamber 147_

"Alright then oh sister of mine," Dirk stated, as he took Judy to the dark, isolated prison that

was very small, even for a rabbit. "Let me show you how this works," he said, pointing to the

collar on her neck. "This fancy little gizmo is called a T.A.M.E. collar. It was made illegal when

predator and prey first made peace, but stronger animals who wanted to rule with fear worked

undercover to make such designs possible for keeping our _weak_ prisoners in check." He then

proceeded to tighten the collar around Judy tight enough, but not to the point of choking, around

her neck. "Try to break out, zap. Try to take the collar off, zap. Find some random way to call

for help even though we removed the equipment, zap. Try to fight any one of us," "Zap, I get it."

Judy said, rather annoyed that Dick had to state the obvious. "Yeah well, we know who _isn't_

going to come and save you from this place." Dick taunted, reminding his sister about Silver's

death as he left. So after realizing there was no way out until somebody could come rescue her,

she simply waited for something to happen. And waited. And waited. Although only 30 minutes

passed by, it seemed to be at least a year. She definitely had a lot more time to think. Her mind

started to sink lower and lower in a drowning state of hopelessness as the despair of her friend

really soaked into her. This was the first time that _any_ friend of hers passed away, but never

had she anticipated that it would be when _she_ was responsible for it. If only she would've

actually realized the fact that Silver was starting to head out on his own that night and convinced

him to head out together. At least she would've actually witnessed a victory from her friend.

Then she realized something else. Who did she do all of this for? The case, Silver, everything.

Was it for them or was it for her? Was this really to prove to herself she can do something to

make _her_ life great? Although there was no mirror in the prison, she started crying with her face

in her paws well knowing the answer to that question. Yes. Yes it was. More "what if's"

drowned into her mind. What if she actually been honest about her feelings at the fair? What if

she made it more evident that he would meet _his_ needs and not just her own. Oh she did the

day before he wandered off, but still though, why did he run away? Probably to get his mind off

the creature that was clawing at him day and night, whether they were aware of it or not. She

then stopped crying and thought about a memory with her old friend Whirley.

 _Flashback… Whirley's house … 9 years earlier_

" _Well now Judy, you worked so hard, I wasn't even given a chance to pull these up." The old_

 _rabbit complemented. The 15-year-old Judy was working out in a garden pulling weeds for her_

 _old friend Whirley's carrot garden for three reasons. The first because Whirley offered her a_

 _part-time job helping him out in the garden once a week, the second being that she enjoyed_

 _seeing her old friend anyway and the third was a bit more of a personal reason. Something she_

 _was planning on asking the older, more experienced rabbit. "Well, that's what you asked me_

 _here for, remember?" Whirley smiled. Her enthusiasm about even the most tedious thing_

 _always seemed to put a smile on his face for one reason or another. The old rabbit laughed._

" _Well, either way, I think it's time to come inside for some ice-cold lemonade." Judy nodded in_

 _agreement, wiping the sweat from her brow with one of her long ears. They both went inside to_

 _the quaint country cottage where the old hare poured them some cups up lemonade. Whirley_

 _took the opportunity to ask Judy a question he knew was on_ both _for their minds. "So Judy, met_

 _any interesting young bucks lately?" (A buck is a male rabbit, just like a male deer. Why? I don't_

 _know, look it up.) Judy wasn't exactly embarrassed by this question because she was actually_

 _planning on asking a question about it anyway. "Well, I've been asked by a couple of these_

 _young bucks that go to school with me, but it didn't really work out." Whirley looked at her with_

 _question and curiosity his brown eyes. "Why not?" he asked. "Were they_ nice _bucks?" "Oh yea_

 _they were nice bucks," Judy spoke sarcastically, "nice bucks that wanted to fight over me like a_

 _trophy." Judy added. "If they wanna just show off the physique and the tricks all day, they_

 _should join the circus, not potential dates." She finished up her lemonade as Judy confirmed_

 _something to the old rabbit. "If I'm gonna be seeing anymore bucks, then they better like me for_

 _me and if they don't like it, then they either need to either quit trying to compete or buck up!"_

 _young Judy spoke with determination. "And you'll like them for who they are too, right?" Whirley_

 _asked, making sure the young doe wasn't putting_ everything _out of perspective when_

 _contemplating her ideal lover. "Oh of course, of course." she rapidly blurbed out, as if she knew_

 _the answer all the time, but forgot in all the rambling. Whirley understood what her heart's_

 _content was though, because when you're friends with somebody long enough, you tend to_

 _know a lot more about them. "That's good. Because there's never gonna be such thing as the_

 _perfect buck. There's no such thing as the perfect friend either." Whirley stated matter-of-factly._

" _Well, you've done a pretty good job." Judy said, offering a back-handed compliment, which was_

 _also true. The old rabbit laughed for a bit in response. "Well, all I can do is try, the best we can_

 _all do is try. And speaking of trying…" Judy's ears perked up at this because this_

 _serious-but-kind tone meant she better be paying attention. "I know we're rabbits and we really_

 _thrive off of moving very fast and being very quick thinkers. But any romantic relationship of any_

 _kind. Predator, prey, mixed, it doesn't matter, none of it matters if nobody puts the time and_

 _effort into their partners and how to continually improve the relationship." Judy continued to_

 _absorb this useful information that was to be used for future purposes. "Things from knowing the_

 _other animal in the relationship, putting their needs before yours, knowing how to work as a_

 _team, how to deal with them when they're off, getting to know them better as a whole so that_

 _you know how they function, knowing the little things about them, what makes them tick and_

 _why." Whirley paused to take a breath before speaking again. "This isn't the quick way or the_

 _easy way, but if you commit yourself to this then it's always gonna be the_ better _way." Whirley_

 _affirmed, putting his emphasis on the word "better." Judy nodded and then hugged the old rabbit_

 _who then returned the embrace. "Don't worry, I'll try hard to live by all this." Judy stated with no_

 _small amount of enthusiasm. Whirley gave a light chuckle. "Oh I know you will Judy, I know you_

 _will."_

 _Flashback ends_

Judy looked back at that moment at the words Whirley taught relating to what to put into a

relationship. She looked down with a dejected frown and realized that she wasn't necessarily

willing to put in the amount of time or effort required to make such a relationship effective. Oh

she may have fulfilled _part_ of what the old rabbit wanted, she was looking out for Silver's needs,

she was starting to get to know him a little, but she never took the time to make sure everything

else was working for their friendship _or_ their relationship to function. She put her head down in

her paws, sighing deeply knew she messed up tonight. But then she raised her head up in

determination knowing that when next time rolls around (if there's even gonna be a next time)

she'll remember to control those rabbit urges, take her time and actually learn how to make a

relationship not just right, but better. Just then, the cell door opened and believe it or not, the

Kyman Klaw showed up. What's even more strange is that he used his metallic claws to

actually dig under her neck where the shock collar was, then used his brute strength to rip the

collar in two, destroying its ability to function. Judy was rather "shocked" if you will at the fact of

this happening; but before she could speak, the Klaw raised his sharp paw to silence her, then

he spoke. "I heard from your brother, the adopted one, that you got the best grades out of

everybody in your cop classes." Judy quickly nodded. "He also told me that you were one of the

best fighters on the ZPD, am I correct?" Judy didn't necessarily want to brag or lie, but with

self-confidence being one of the few assets she had with her right now. Plus, it wouldn't be a

lie. In the brief days after the Night Howler case, the fellow cops have shown her a lot of

respect once she proved herself to them. So, she smiled and saluted as a sign of approval to

the wolf. The Klaw folded his arms in return. "That's what I thought." he then turned his back

towards Judy as he continued. "I suppose Mr. Big told you about the ancient ritual of combat,

which we have annually between leaders of our 7 contingents to see who would be strong and

powerful enough to be worthy of running the Ring." he then turned back towards Judy to speak

yet again. "I need someone to train on, someone to hunt for sport in my labyrinth, which is

where this year's challenge will be." He said, getting closer to Judy eventually coming inces

within her space. "Here's how the game works. One hour of pure mayhem. Everyone grabs

whatever weapon they got. It's like paintball, but it's with murder weapons and the stakes could

potentially be life-and-death." he started. He then got into detail about how he'll be weaponized

for this "game" while (since she was a prisoner) Judy would be wearing an old orange t-shirt,

obviously deframing her cop personality. Judy agreed to the challenge, shaking the Klaw's

klawed… er, I mean… clawed paw and just as he he was about to leave, he called for Judy

again. She turned to the terrorist. "Your 'friend' gave me a fair fight and lost everything. _Don't_

make the same mistake with me." Dick then came out to escort her sister to the battle labyrinth

as certain death or a glorious upset awaited the young doe.

 _Transition… The Labyrinth_

 _Next Level by LZ7 and Family Force 5 plays._

 _Elevate, elevate, elevate, Next Level_

 _Music continues._

Judy, now wearing a lightweight orange t-shirt, walked into the beginning of one end of the

spooky labyrinth, where she set out with courage to find her opponent, who was undoubtedly

waiting for her at the other end. Little did she know that as she started working her way towards

the middle of the maze, the real chaos was set to begin.

 _Next Level Baby._

 _Hey, you know I'm the bomb-I'm the bomb. Yeah, that's why you sounded the alarm, right? (2x)_

 _Song still continues._

She heard random scratching along the walls of the labyrinth. No doubt the "predator" wanting

to scare the prey out of hiding. She remained calm and then proceeded to try and find the Klaw.

Little did she know, that the Klaw was closer than she thought. He was sneaking up on her

coming closer and closer than ever because he was pulling himself up onto the walls, walking

on top of them and using his vision to try and track down Hopps. The Kyman Klaw now had the

mindset of a vicious hunter. He threw a bomb where he guessed Judy would have been hiding.

He was right. Judy spotted some kind of smoke bomb that made her cough profusely, revealing

her location to the Klaw.

 _Jump! Jump! Jump! Elevate!_

 _Jump! Jump! Jump! Next Level!_

 _LZ7, LZ7, FF5, FF-FF-FF-5 (2x)_

Next, he grabbed some hoverboard he seemed to be flying up in the sky as he grabbed an uzi

rapidly and randomly firing it throughout the whole labyrinth almost as if randomly shooting for

Hopps. Luckily, none of the bullets hit her as she ducked under the smoke. She wasn't _as_ lucky

When she turned around and was face-to-face with the Klaw who rapidly started trying to slash

Judy with a knife. She was able to evade the Klaw's attempts to quickly end her despite the

surprising speed and agility from her opponent. How to get out of her vulnerable position in the

corner was another thing entirely.

 _Next Level!_

 _See Imma Elevate, Elevate, System Links, Bounce Bounce Like a Fresh New Pair of Kicks._

 _See I'm a New Kid, I'm Relentless, I'm from the U.K., Bring the London Twist to This…_

 _Song continues_

She was able to successfully able to juke out her would-be assassin and also delivered a

crushing hit to his right leg, tripping him up allowing her to make an escape of some kind as she

attempted to run towards the next path to the end to survive. The Kyman Klaw tried to throw a

ninja star at Judy to try and nail her before pulling himself up onto the wall. Judy saw the

maneuver and made a mental note to use this to her advantage next time as well, but also paid

enough attention to evade the stars coming towards her. Now knowing that the Klaw could be

knowing her every move before she made it (and correctly assumed that the guns and the

bombs were to try and reveal her location, she decided that the best thing to do was make a

mad-dash for the end instead of hiding in isolation. However, the predator was prepared as well

as the prey. Thinking several steps ahead of Judy, he knew that by launching another bomb or

shooting another round of bullets, this would obviously cause her to go quicker to find the end.

Unless of course, she already knew where it was. His next move was to find Judy, then just

land in front of wherever she was at to determine how close to the end she was then try to drive

her farther back enough to cause her to be even more lost. Confident in his plan, he jumped in

front of the "hopeless" prey.

 _Jump! Jump! Jump! Elevate!_

 _Jump! Jump! Jump! Next Level!_

 _Jump! Jump! Jump! Bass, Treble!_

 _Jump! Jump! Jump! Next Level!_

 _Song ends._

What Judy didn't know was that the Klaw had another trick up his sleeve. She was about 50

feet from the end when he stealthily lept behind her pushing a button on the remote control

which sent down a robot with a built-in chainsaws for arms. With a robot blocking a rather

straight-shot towards the end and a ruthless assassin behind her, she knew she had to make a

move and quick. She could try going past the robot and let the assassin deal with it, but _he_ had

the remote to turn it off easily. Assuming Judy would die either which way (but still wanting to

finish her off for the sport of it) he decided to shoot at Judy anyway and come closer and closer

towards her to finish it off, however, fate had other plans. Although the robot was very tactical,

very big and very powerful, it wasn't built for speed. He incorrectly assumed that since Judy

was very small and that the robot was a very _tall_ obstacle, this would mean an easy win for him

because of size. Boy was he wrong. And being wrong would cost him. As the rabbit easily

hopped through the robot's legs, the robot (taking a while to work) naturally sliced the next thing

it saw. The Klaw's pectorals (or his shoulder blades). Judy was coming closer and closer to

finding the end. She was literally one step towards finding the finish line when all of the sudden,

she heard screaming coming from the part of the maze where she last left the Klaw. She turned

back around to see the robot's blades come close to embedding its blades all the way into his

muscles so that it would render his arms completely useless. She had to make a choice and

quick. Sprint to the finish and win the game, play it safe, she'll be fine. Or take the 50-50

chance of trying to free the Klaw, knowing he'd probably kill her at the next chance he got, and

either come back with a 50-50 chance of living out the night. Now, I'm not the smartest writer in

the world, but I'm pretty sure none of you would choose Option 2. In fact, some of you would

think it's pretty crazy, I mean, there's no way _Judy_ out of anybody would do that, right? But she

did. She saw the remote control her opponent dropped and used it to turn off the robot. The

robot's blades were obviously still embedded in the shoulder blades of the Klaw and when she

took them out, she discovered that he was writhing in pain and losing blood rapidly. Quickly and

carefully, she assisted the fatally injured Klaw to the finish line. The race for life-and-death

ended in a draw, but it was the Klaw that came closest to death. Judy saw Dick and Sasha

(who were watching the contest from elevated seating) and told (more like demanded, but

whatever) them to get medical supplies immediately. They complied, and before Judy left, she

heard something "Wait!" she heard the wounded phrase being spoken by the Klaw. She

wondered what other trick that her opponent had up her sleeve. There were no tricks this time

though. He just had a simple question to ask. "You know I could've been able to kill you, right?"

Judy nodded in answer to that question. "You know that it would've been a quicker win for you if

you crossed the line and let me be, right?" She nodded again. "Then why did you bother saving

me at all, knowing that it was going to be futile?" This time, Judy knelt down, using part of the

t-shirt (the part she didn't cut off prior to the fight/race to use as string as to not get lost) to put

pressure on the Klaw's wounds as to not let any more blood get lost and looked him straight in

the mask and said, tenderly, "Because I have _honor_ inside of me. And honor wouldn't let

anyone else get killed, no matter _who_ it was." Her opponent's countenance didn't seem as grim

as it once was, but she did feel him toss her hard like a baseball out of the hole of a broken

window that the loser of the duel between Silver and the Kyman Klaw got pushed out of left for

dead when the battle ended. She fell down the rabbit hole (Ok, it was the window hole. Man,

am I feeling punny tonight.) where she landed right next to the dead body of a warrior. She lifted

the mask of the dead warrior, surprisingly, not seeing Silver's face, but that of a wolf with a star

over his right eye, as if there was some sort of makeup/paint that covered the star. She gasped

in realization. "But that could only mean…" She saw some kind of familiar energy animating

from the main building. She used a grappling hook that Silver neglected to take out of the Klaw

when they fought and used it to climb up where the energy was coming from. She took a glance

to see a majority of the Ring's contingent running out of the building because of the energy. She

quickly made some deductions. The energy was focusing on the maze, which seemed to be

some kind of power grid. She then made the correct assumption that the power grid actually

powered the Ring's main HQ. (That and the fact that the lights were going off and on whenever

the energy increased gave that a good guess too.) She then saw the figure briefly turn towards

her. The amount of energy he was using was also increasing the rate of blood coming out of his

wounds, but he still gave his powers one last gigantic boost. She was shocked and surprised to

see Silver putting all of his life force practically into destroying the Ring. The last-ditch effort

worked, causing the Ring's HQ to explode. The impact sent Judy careening in the air, but her

mind processed something else in slow motion. Her friend, weakened, vulnerable, yet noble;

falling to his wounds, his back being smacked against a nearby tree causing more blood to fall

out, and landing to the ground with a thud.

 _Watching for Comets by Skillet plays_

" _You burn so bright, I see stars. The way you laugh, it's like a heavenly choir."_

" _You made me feel invincible; When you're with me, I could take on the world."_

 _Chorus:_

" _You were a comet, and I lost it."_

" _Watching for comets, will I see you again?"_

" _You burn so bright, you burn me up tonight."_

 _Song continues…_

As Judy's mind refocused into real time, she saw her friend's back bleeding next to the HQ he

destroyed. She quickly hopped over to him in a panicked frenzy, caring less that an army of

ZPD, S.W.E.A.T. officers and Dick's contingent, who turned against the Ring, marching near the

destroyed HQ to take on the rest of the Ring that assembled. She looked at Silver for a

split-second seeing no pain in his eyes at all, but comfort. "Do you want to know why I did it?"

Silver asked his friend weakly. She nodded, with tears streaming down her eyes. "I always do

stupid things like this for the ones I love." he spoke, weakly, but with confidence. Then his

countenance went weak as his grip loosened. "No, no!" she shrieked out to no one in

particular. She practically had to be torn away from Silver by Nick, KZ and Tails as she watched

in heartbreak as her friend being taken away by a medical helicopter.

" _Everybody needs someone, but they can't feel like this."_

" _How can I breathe with this burning in my chest?_

" _You were gone so fast, I want you ba-a-a-ack."_

 _Song continues…_

She now knew why it was important to take the time to truly know others like Whirley said.

Because you never know when that time can be stripped away. She could care less that Nick

and KZ were taking her to a police chopper that was also en route to the hospital to visit Silver.

She could care less that Tails and his forces were quickly vanquishing the Ring. She could even

care less that she even survived the whole ordeal. All that she cared about was that her friend

 _could_ be lost again. This time, for real. This time, for forever.

" _You burn so bright, you burn me up tonight."_

 _Song ends._

 _Whoa. What a surprise huh? It turns out the Klaw was defeated the whole time and Silver_

 _disguised as the Klaw to gain access to the power grid and the duo of Judy and Silver both_

 _saved each other's lives in that chapter. But the life of one, could cost the life of another. Is_

 _Silver gonna be ok? Will Judy make it through this whole ordeal? Will all be set right? To find_

 _out (and I know you're gonna hate this.) Wait 'til next time. Watching for Comets and Back_

 _From the Dead are both owned by Skillet and the song Next Level was written by LZ7 and_

 _Family Force 5. Also, if you noticed Dick and Judy's encounter in the prison, I hid a little_

 _Captain America: Civil War pun in there where Dick's telling her if she messes with the collar_

" _zap" (Just to remind_ everyone...Any _and_ all _unoriginal content is used for_ entertainment _and_

educational _purposes only) Don't forget to review and follow. Send me a review real quick,_

 _what would_ you _have done in Judy's situation? The one in the maze. Save yourself or go back_

 _and take that 50-50 chance of saving someone else? Until then guys, Keep Loving, Keep_

 _Edifying, Keep LoveandEdifying. Peace out._


	26. Chapter 22: Recovery

_Love In The Open_

 _Chapter 22: Recovery_

The ride to the hospital seemed like the beginning of the end for Judy. Life seemed to be

treating her rather unfairly with the stress and tension the situation were bringing. The one thing

she was grateful for in this moment that there were good friends like Nick and KZ in the car

along with her en route to the hospital. She was crying for various reasons now. Not just for the

pain of a loved one, but for the potential future scenarios such as these. She was not afraid of

herself dying, but she was always deeply concerned for the lives of others. It was an awful

nightmare to her now. A nightmare which might become reality.

 _Transition… Zootopia Memorial Hospital… 15 minutes later_

Tails and company were able to finish off the remnants of the Ring. No longer would their terror

strike Zootopia, but rather peace and freedom once again. Chief Bogo, KZ, Tails and recently

appointed mayor Richard Talon were all in the hospital answering questions from the press

about the following events. Heroes weren't needed to be proclaimed, for the "heroes" were

content to perform their duties. Although many officers were wounded, they weren't fatally

injured and at Richard's advice, reporters were _not_ allowed to speak with any wounded officers.

Although he was about to speak to one that was mentally wounded. As the bird was about to

leave, he saw 3 cops huddled together around an area in the spacious waiting room. He

recognized the fox immediately (Hey, Nick knows everybody, remember?) the bunny he only

recently heard of before taking office, and the other bird looked somewhat familiar to him. He

boldly went up to the other bird and tapped him on the wing. In response, KZ hugged Richard

tightly for a bit before letting go of the embrace. "Well well well, looks like two brothers

finally reunited." Nick confidently stated. Nick, KZ and Richard all chest-bumped, causing Judy

to stop her crying to turn around out of curiosity. "Excuse me, but who are you?" Judy asked the

falcon in the suit and tie. "Judy Hopps is it?" the formally-dressed falcon asked. Judy was too

saddened to nod, but Nick was able to offer a small embrace in comfort. "Kev?" Richard asked

his twin, wondering why Judy seemed to shy away from him. "It's not you bro, one of her best

friends is extremely wounded from the fight with the Ring." "Oh." Richard whispered and

nodded in understanding. Before becoming mayor of Zootopia, Richard was determined to join

his adopted brother in making a difference in Zootopia. The two were as different as salt and

pepper. Richard was the more introverted, smart, formal, leader who always preferred to use

his words when handling a disagreement instead of making fighting the first solution (although

he wasn't afraid to fight when he had to.) KZ was more extroverted: which in turn, made him

very popular around his peers. He wasn't unintelligent by any means, but preferred to leave

what he called the "smarty stuff" to Richard and the physical things to himself. Both were very

excellent leaders, solid figures for peers to rely on, and even though their opposites sometimes

made them clash, they remained true friends deep down. Years later, Richard indeed became

the second deputy mayor along with Dawn Bellewether and was sworn in as mayor when Dawn

was arrested. KZ became the general of the Aerial division of S.W.E.A.T. and was now the 1st

Lieutenant of the entire unit. The Talon Twins (as their peers called them) were now indeed

making a difference. Richard walked over to Judy with a wing over her shoulder. "Hey, I'm

really sorry that your friend got wounded. I don't know if you're in the mood of telling me about

your friend, but I do know that telling your friends about your problems helps make it feel better,

ok?" Judy nodded, tears slowly dying down now. Richard then tried again. "Now, who is this

friend of yours? Is he a cop like you?" Judy shook her head. "A S.W.E.A.T. like my brother

here?" She shook her head again. Richard looked towards KZ, only to see him shaking his

head as well. "Uh, he was a Mobian sir." Nick finally spoke up. The Talon Twins turned to Nick.

KZ Eagleton knew only two animals who knew his former last name. His brother Richard and

his friend Nick Wilde. Before being adopted by Richard's family, his mother and father were

killed by evil birds who worked for the Ring when he was a young adult. It was also at that

same time where he flew as far as his wings could carry him, which was Zootopia. It was there

where he met Nick and Finnick. Even though he knew what they were doing was wrong, it was

basic urban survival that lead him to accepting proceeds from the two hustlers. Richard's family

later (meaning one year before the Night Howlers case) adopted him as their own and while

they weren't too happy about the type of "guardians" the two foxes were, they did show some

well-deserved respect towards them for keeping KZ alive all this time. That was how Nick came

to be good friends of the two brothers. Now, the two were returning the favor. "A Mobian?"

Richard asked, rather confused about the details. "As in the one weird two-tailed fox thing I saw

on tv? No offense Nick." "None taken." Nick replied, knowing that they wouldn't insult him on

purpose. "Not exactly like that bro." KZ told his brother. "They're the friendly super-powered

aliens that have been helping us this whole time. The one she's talking about, is a white

hedgehog-looking character who could move things with his mind. I know, hard to believe me,

but it's true. He killed the leader of the Ring, disguised as him to find the tech panel and

destroyed it." "How is it that he's wounded then?" Richard asked, in more confusion than

before. Nick was about to speak when Judy finally gained enough strength to respond. "When

he was disguised, he challenged me to a duel. I didn't know that I would be actually fighting him

until later because he wasn't behaving like Silver at all." she paused a moment before

continuing. "Before I got past the maze, he sent in a giant robot with chainsaw arms that when I

got past it…" Judy started to briefly cry again before KZ, Nick and Richard all came close. A few

media animals came in following Tails, but KZ was able to successfully hold them off. "Guys,

what happened?" Tails asked, observing the huddling crowd. "Tails, this is Richard Talon, the

new mayor of Zootopia. Richard, this is Tails." Tails and Richard shook paws/wings as Nick

closed out the introduction. "Judy was telling us what happened to Silver, but we understand if

she doesn't want to…" Richard's statement was interrupted when Judy grabbed his left wing to

get his attention. "That's ok sir, I want to finish." she took a deep breath, then exhaled to

continue. "After the robot was too slow to slice me, it happened to be slicing Silver's shoulder

blades very deep into the muscles. After saving him, he tossed me out the window so he could

use his powers to destroy the tower." Having to remember that horrific moment caused her to

cry tears of grief, as she felt like she was not only telling it, but reliving that tragedy again.

"When I saw the explosion knock him back, all that blood he lost. It was as if he actually died

again. The only thing I wanted were to have those few moments back. But not just those ones,

but many more moments. I want to live it all again so that I could take the time to know such a

wonderful, noble…" Judy stopped there as she cried again. Nick was there comforting his rabbit

friend through the pain. "Tails, do you know how Silver's doing now?" Richard asked. "Last I

checked sir, he still hasn't woken up yet." It was then Richard had a brilliant idea. "Tails, get KZ

and tell him to tell the media that I have some developing news for them to hear."

 _Time-skip… 30 seconds later…_

After KZ and Tails successfully were able to round up all the media that were there, Richard

looked in front of the camera and started a brief speech. "Good evening everybody, I don't

know how many of you are keeping track of the situation of our brave, valiant cops recovering

from wounds suffered against the Ring. Let me tell you all that not all of the wounds suffered

today are solely physical." Richard then pointed towards Judy, signaling the cameras to center

towards her. "Some of you may have recently heard about this noble cop. Judy Hopps. Pure

underdog who came all the way from Bunnyborrow to fulfill her dream of becoming a cop."

Camera flashes were capturing this emotional moment as the mayor continued his speech.

"She may have briefly divided us, but she also united us when she saved us all from a plot

performed by my predecessor, Dawn Bellewether, who threatened to divide us further apart.

Recently, when she was having some quality time with friends, she discovered that an ancient

enemy, the Ring, had returned from under our noses. She, along with a Mobian that recently

visited here, have saved us from the Ring's tyranny by exposing their plot." The mayor's

countenance and tone shifted from one of gratitude to one of somberness as the cameras

continued to record the speech. "In that however, that Mobian, who Judy came to know

personally, is fighting for his life even as we speak. Judy may not be hurting physically, but

she's dealing with a hurting heart inside. Let's take this time as a moment of silence to let her

know, and to let all of those who were impacted by this know, that _we_ are by their sides."

 _Time-skip… Moment of Silence_

"Thank you." the mayor concluded. Richard allowed the media to follow him out of the hospital

so that Nick, KZ and Tails could have their moment alone with Judy. "Hey Carrots, I just want

you to know that I'm always gonna be by your side, no matter _what_ happens." Nick stated,

hugging Judy to make her feel better. "Me too." KZ said next, joining in. "Me too." Tails agreed,

joining in the group hug. "Me too." said Chief Bogo, who just came in the waiting room after

debriefing the situation with his cops that were wounded. "And I think we all know someone

who'd be doing it too if he were with us right now." Nick stared at the Chief rather confused.

"Does that mean Silver's dead?" he asked. "He's alive. But the surgery he

had to go through was rather intensive and he would have to stay a week if not more for his

shoulders to recover."

 _Time-skip… 30 minutes later…_

After further discussion, they all agreed that Judy would at least be allowed to stay the night with

Silver and that she could keep visiting during lunch breaks as long as she was back on duty

when she was supposed to be. Judy agreed to those terms, and with nervousness and

anticipation, she was lead into Silver's room by a kindly young moose nurse. "And this is where

he is Officer Hopps. You might not want to rattle him too much, he just woke up." "Don't worry, I

won't." Judy said, understanding the pain her friend would be under. "Hey Judy," the moose

called out, before Judy entered the door. Judy briefly turned to the moose. "I'm on your team

too. If there's anything you need from me, just ask me. Brooke Moose." "Got it, thanks Brooke."

Judy replied politely as she went into the door. Obviously, the hospital looked like any other

standard hospital. Just consider the fact that it had room for every single animal imaginable and

enough food, water and medical resources for them; but other than that, it's basically your

standard everyday hospital. She found the bed that Silver was in, which was rather easy to find

since it was closest to the window. She ran down the hall with tears in her eyes once she found

him. Silver's arms were in slings, but he still felt the bunny clutching at his chest. "Hey, it's

great to see you too, but could you just, you know, get off please?" Silver asked, motioning his

head towards a chair next to his bed for her to sit on. "Oh sorry about that." Judy apologized,

reeling her excitement back in. She had never been through this much emotional turmoil as she

had the past day. She seated herself on the chair, and breathed a sigh of relief that her friend

was actually alive. "Silver, we need to talk." Judy started the conversation, in a more

serious-like manner. "Ok, about what?" Silver asked. Judy took a deep breath, preparing for

the plunge of where this conversation would go. "Silver, I think, that, if there's going to be

anything between us, I would rather it be as friends first." Silver was about to interject, when

Judy held her paw up to stop him. "This doesn't change how I see you at all. You're still an

amazing friend, you've been my best friend throughout all of this experience. But when I

thought I heard the Kyman Klaw say that you were actually dead, the one thing I wanted more

than anything else was to have that time with you back. To tell you how I felt the first time,

rather than wait for forever; just get to know you first rather and make our friendship stronger

rather than just rush it and never appreciate who I know and who you've become." Judy paused

for a brief moment to let those words soak in her friend's mind. "I guess that old saying is

true. 'You never know what you got 'til it's gone' or in my case, until I _thought_ it was gone."

Silver was impressed that Judy actually caught on to what he was wanting to tell her, but could

never find the nerve to tell her in person. "Can I say something now?" Silver asked. Judy

nodded in response. "I was a real jerk during this whole thing. I kind of knew you were

interested in me when we hung out at Cash Cow. I just never knew what to say or what to do.

I didn't want to put myself through all of the pain of my past. When I broke up with Blaze, I did it

on good terms, but it was still one of the most heartbreaking days of my life. When I was talking

to your dad about it, I knew he was right about love being more than just romance, which I knew

all along, but I still didn't feel comfortable going down that path. But I didn't want to disappoint

you either. I enjoy being your friend and I love being your hero. I just couldn't help but feel if I

did anything otherwise, I'd just be the selfish wreck you first thought I was." Judy thought back

to when they first met at the bowling alley. She wasn't exactly on her best behavior that day,

whether she deserved the taunting from Silver or not. She didn't deal with him in a calm

manner, but rather let out anger and frustration. Although she apologized and made things

right, there was something about Silver that seemed to be nagging at him from Judy's

perspective. Now she understood what it was. It wasn't the breakup with Blaze _or_ starting

something new with her. It was fear. Fear of disappointment. Fear of _being_ a disappointment.

Failure of living up to expectations, especially those closest to his heart, is what gripped Silver

the Hedgehog. And it wasn't until now that Judy had realized it. "Sweet cheese and

crackers, how could I have been so _stupid_?!" Judy slandered, faceslapping herself. "Stupid

about what?" Silver asked. "Why didn't I consider it before?" Judy asked, still visibly ticked.

"Consider what?" Silver asked, still confused as to why his friend was ticked off. Judy was

finally able to take a deep breath to calm down. "Silver, listen to me, ok?" she calmly reasoned

with him. "I have never been that good of a friend to you. There are a million things I should

have done better for you. If only I just let us start off on good terms from the beginning, then we

wouldn't be where we're at now. I guess I've been a jerk to you this whole time. A jerk for not

seeing you as you really are. A jerk for not asking what was wrong with you at the diner. A jerk

for thinking you were ready for romance just to satisfy a selfish whim I have dreamed up. I

could go on and on about what I did wrong, but you never deserved me. You never deserve

me, because _I_ was the disappointment. I never lived up to _your_ expectations. I never even

considered your needs to be most important, but let my wants get in the way." Judy then

opened a window that was next to Silver that had an adjacent view of the midnight traffic. "So if

this is how it's going to end…" Judy started, as she stared out the window. "Judy, what are

you…" Silver asked, now scared for his friend. "...let it end on good terms." Judy finished.

"Judy, wait, don't jump! Please! What's going on?!" Silver asked rather frantically. Judy looked

out the window again. "I'm ridding you of your greatest disappointments Silver. Me." she spoke

again. "Judy, I'll do anything to make it up to you, but please don't jump tonight! PLEASE don't

jump tonight!" Silver cried out, practically begging her for forgiveness for all his pity. "And why

is that?" She asked, wanting to see where his heart was. "Because I love you ok?!" Silver

finally confessed. "I love you despite the screw-ups, I love you despite the failures, I don't even

care whether we'll be married or just friends or if this will be the last time, just as long as you are

in it with me. Just please don't leave." Silver finished, crying out in pain from physical injury and

pain from mental injury. She hopped off the window sill and cuddled next to Silver. "I'll always

be by your side Silver. Because I love you the same way. Screw-ups and all. Just promise me

you will never consider yourself a disappointment. Because I am never disappointed in you."

The two friends laid there for a bit until Judy finally went to sleep on the chair as she and her

friend go through recovery. Together. Forever. No matter what.

 _Well, that was a fun write. And speaking of recoveries, next time, we're gonna wind this up by_

 _seeing if Sonic finds his purpose and also if he'll forgive Gazelle when she apologizes. Also, we_

 _will see the reemergence of an old foe in this tale. Who's it gonna be? Find out all that and_

 _more next time. See you then._


	27. LITO: Chapter 23: Purpose Found

_All I need to start this off is… Wow! Just wow. Over 4,000 views on this story._

 _Thank you all so very much for viewing and enjoying my first fanfic._

 _Anyhow, here's_

 _how the rest of this is gonna work. 2 of the final 4 chapters are gonna be a two-part chapter_

 _covering the final battle. The final one is going to be the end of the story, which also will set up_

 _the sequel to this story, "The Project." The final chapter is gonna be a Q &A Chapter, so feel free _

_to submit any questions you have via review or PM from now until the Q &A Chapter release._

 _It's gonna keep getting epic from there. In the meantime, let's keep_

 _going and also, I'm setting a goal that by the time I end LITO, to get 4,500 views in_ total _for_

 _this story. Please get some of those_

 _writers that follow you guys to view, follow and review this story and pass it on to_

 _their followers as well. It'd mean alot to me as I have really enjoyed putting my best effort into_

 _this project._

 _Love In The Open_

 _Chapter 23: Purpose Found_

Camping and Sonic are two words that get along really well together. He could've done

anything for an adventure and have been fine with it. Survival, a battle, or simply a day out with

friends. Friends. They were on Sonic's mind currently as he gathered the last of his

firewood from trees he spin-dashed down. He stoked the fire he already had going with said

wood. Although he knew that this purpose-finding mission was supposed to be his and his

alone, his heart yearned for help and guidance from his closest companions. Old and new alike.

A lot of Mobians back home would've thought Sonic's friends were mainly sideshow or along for

the ride. But if anyone has known the blue blur long enough, they'd know that "fact" is fallacy.

Although Sonic's friends were never mentioned as much as he himself was mentioned, that

didn't mean they were useless. Rather, they were the most use _ful_ asset he ever had besides

his physical traits. When he ever had a problem that felt bigger than himself, or when it seemed

like the whole world was bearing down on him, his friends always seemed to be one step or one

call away. Oh sure, go alone, do the solo-act thing, Sonic could do that _easily_. But not every

hero can face trauma alone. Even heroes need help. Whether they'll admit it or not. Sonic

really wished that they were all here with him. Not exactly to offer advice, but be there during

his own problems like he had done for them so many times before. But he knew deep down

that it wasn't going to happen. Not this time. He also spent a deep amount of thought on

Gazelle. Not the "damsel in distress" but never totally the "purebred heroine." He definitely

enjoyed bonding with this new friend he had yet to know much about and didn't really care

for the fact that she was rich and famous. There was nothing wrong for desiring the girl of his

dreams to be very pretty or to have the flare of nobility animate from her. He would have

enjoyed those things about her. But if there were any quality traits that Sonic looked for in a

dream girl, it would boil down to three qualities. First, she would have to be committed to him

and be

supportive of his decisions. Sonic, like the wind, is very influenced by his free-spirited nature

when it comes to making important choices; but that doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate other's

advice or input when needed. He does get very annoyed when others try to flat-out disapprove

of his way of thinking or not listen to him all the way through. While Sonic thought Gazelle was

very supportive of him during his brief time with her, he didn't think she was as committed when

Justin came around. He didn't mind the fact that his dream girl would have other friends

besides him, in fact, in his opinion, her friends would be his friends too. The only problem that

 _would_ enlie is if she wasn't committed to _him_ as well. Something he saw Gazelle not do as well.

The second thing he desired most from his lady would be that she would know _how_ to pursue

him. Ironically enough, romance is something Sonic would rather slow down with. Amy Rose, a

longtime friend and admirer, was an example of why this was important to him. When she

pursued him, she pursued him like water in the desert. Seemingly that her whole life revolved

around him. She already thought about marriage and the future before all of that even came.

Although she apologized for her wayward thinking, and the two became good friends again, this

taught Sonic that speed doesn't always matter in everything. Sonic didn't know how she was

going to try and pursue him now that she had Justin. But who knows, things could happen that

would tip the scale in Sonic's favor again. He didn't know what would happen in that scenario or

anything else. But a lot would depend on how she pursued his forgiveness, if she even did at

all. The third and final thing would be she supported him in his _cause_. His purpose to make the

universe around him a better place. Sure, he didn't mind that they would have different ways of

going about it, but as long as she supported his cause, his mission, along with caring for him as

well as he would care for her (Ok, so that's 4 things) then Sonic would be content. But what

was the purpose behind it all? Sonic put that thought to bed, along with the rest of his thoughts,

as he went into his tent, climbed up into his cot and curled into his sleeping bag as he bundled

up in a content, calm and comfortable sleep.

 _Dream/Flashback Scene… Mobius… 15 years ago_

 _(10 by Built By Titan and Starxs plays)_

 _10-year-old Sonic was running around at the speed of sound as usual from one place to_

 _another. And again. And again. And again. And… alright, you get my point. This time, he ran_

 _over to the local park near the school to play on his way home. He was rather energetic,_

 _hyperactive and extroverted for Mobians his age, but he was still loved and accepted for who he_

 _is by the rest of his family and friends. However, just like most origins, there had to be that_ one

 _bump in the road. The bump in Sonic's case happened a red echidna about a year older than_

 _him that kept bumping into him, as was the case that day._

 _(Song stops)_

 _The muscular red echidna, whose eyes seemed to be as fiery as his red complexion obviously_

 _displayed in front of the calm, cool and collected blue hedgehog. "Alright doofus, I think you_

 _know what I come here for!" the echidna sparked with the fire animating from his lips. Of_

 _course, Sonic was unphased by this act of force the brute put up. "Oh really? Let's see…" Sonic_

 _said, scratching his chin, pretending to think hard. The red echidna grunted at Sonic's obvious_

 _mock ignorance because they both knew after experience, they knew what the other was after._

" _Does it involve shiny objects?" Sonic asked, rather tauntedly. But of course, what happens_

 _when wind blows on fire? It makes the fire crackle even more. The same was true with_

 _Knuckles as his anger boiled even more. "You know what I'm talking about dude!" he_

 _snapped, angrier than before. "Is it something you can buy things with?" Sonic continued with_

 _his jest. "You know what I want, now HAND… IT… OVER!" the red echidna flared with anger_

 _that shot out like a nuclear bomb. Now Sonic could've run the other way, but surprisingly_

 _enough (or not surprisingly, if you were Sonic) he remained fearless through it all, standing_

 _courageously in front of the bully and finishing the quip with no bravery lost. "Oh I get it, it's my_

 _lunch money. Now maybe if you ask nicely Knuckles… " the rage and anger in Knuckles_

 _slowly boiled from steaming to bubbling to boiling to volcano as he attempted to try and grab_

 _Sonic to slam him to the ground. But Sonic proved too quick for him as he easily dodged the_

 _punches and kicks coming his way, which Sonic responded to by running away. Now normally,_

 _Sonic wouldn't have minded "playing" with Knuckles for an extended period of time, but he_

 _actually_

 _had to go back home for a playday with his best friend Tails, so he decided to speed this round_

 _up. He ran towards a wall where he waited for_

 _Knuckles to catch up to him. He checked his watch and read the time. 20 minutes until_

 _3'o-clock, the time he was supposed to be home. He saw no trace of Knuckles and with how_

 _fast he could run, he could've made it in 1 decasecond, much less 20 minutes. When it was_

 _2:45, he saw a brief glimpse of Knuckles jogging around, but decided to remain hidden and_

 _pushed a button on his stopwatch to see how long it would take for his slightly dim-witted_

" _friend" to actually find him. He checked the watch again. 2:50. It wasn't concern about his_

 _speed that decided to wind this up earlier than expected, but boredom. So he decided to to call_

 _out for him. "Hey Knucklehead. You gonna come get me or what?" he yelled out to the echidna_

 _who was sitting at the baseball field next to the park that was next to the school. After hearing_

 _Sonic's taunting call, he immediately twisted his cap back on his plastic water bottle, flipped it,_

 _not even looking to see that it landed perfectly on the bottom as he charged towards the_

 _hedgehog who was leaning against the school wall like a perfect target. Sonic wasn't_

 _intimidated by his opponent's brute force that was charging at him, because he knew that_

 _Knuckles's rage would be part of the little-known trick he had up his sleeve. Knuckles_

 _rampaged closer and closer, more and more rapidly until he was about a foot away from the_

 _blue hedgehog, that was when he leapt after him and was ready to use his colossal strength_

 _and his razor-sharp knuckles in an attempt to skewer his adversary. But that was all it was_

 _though. An attempt. An attempt Sonic knew would get the bully into a whole mess of trouble,_

 _because the minute he knew Knuckles was about to throw his lunging punch, he quickly scooted_

 _out of the way. Before Knuckles realized he was going to miss, his lunging attack caused him to_

 _break through the wall Sonic originally was leaning on, which also sent him careening through_

 _the school halls, through his own locker before he finally slowed himself down long enough to_

 _avoid passing through the principal's office. The principal, who was a stern, stocky dalmatian_

 _who was wearing glasses analyzing grades on a desktop computer heard the red-furred storm_

 _thud to the ground. When she heard that, she took off her glasses and turned to see the dazed_

 _echidna lying prone on the floor as if he was unconscious. "Ugh, can you please pass the_

 _cupcakes grandma?" Knuckles spoke deliriously as he finally came too. When he finally woke_

 _up, he saw the stern look of her principal glaring into his face and perhaps also gazing into his_

 _soul. (Ok, maybe not, but you get the idea.) She grabbed Knuckles by the arm and dragged him_

 _out for a discussion, which was not to be a pleasant one judging by the ranting tone in her voice._

" _You want a cupcake? Then let's talk about the mess you made ding-dong!" she spoke in a_

 _voice that was rather high-pitched for a female of her age, but still scolding nonetheless. Sonic_

 _on the other hand, was watching the scene unfold through the cracks his bully made. He was_

 _laughing so hard at the antics he pulled, but the laughing was all mental because if it were_

 _physical laughter, then he would've got caught for his humorous misdemeanor. He then_

 _remembered he had that playday with Tails so he sped off over to his house really quick. He_

 _checked his watch when he got inside the quaint victorian wooden house. 2:51. He knew that_

 _the slow timing getting home was because Knuckles was really tired from trying to chase Sonic_

 _down, resulting in the Knuckles-punching-the-wall-and-getting-himself-into-trouble sequence to_

 _last a little longer than Sonic anticipated. "Hey Sonic, how was your day?" his mother Aleena_

 _asked him as her son sped through the door and into the kitchen in his usual Sonic style._

" _Feelin' pretty good mom."_

 _Sonic replied in his usual confident flare. "Hey, where's dad?" Sonic asked, while waiting for his_

 _friend to show up. "Oh, he just has to talk to someone on the phone really quick. Tails should_

 _be here in a few minutes." His mom replied. "Ok, thanks mom. I'll get ready." Right after Sonic_

 _sped off to his room to get ready for the playdate, Sonic's dad, Robert K. Hedgehog, whose_

 _formal style and attire would lead many to believe he was a bigwig business manager, walked_

 _into the same room Sonic was just in. "Did Sonic just get home?" He asked with concern in his_

 _tone. "Yes, he's up in his room waiting for Tails." Aleena responded, "Why do you ask?" she_

 _asked, wondering what was on her husband's mind. Robert got a tomato and washed it while_

 _responding to his wife. "Because that call was from Sonic's teacher. Apparently somebody_

 _flung Knuckles into a wall and they're asking everybody who it could have been." Robert_

 _removed his fruit from the flowing water, turned off the sink and turned to his wife. "They think_

 _Sonic did it?" Aleena asked, with great concern on her face because she loved Sonic very much_

 _and would hate to see anything harmful happen to her son. "Well they don't know for sure,_

 _that's why they're asking everyone." Robert asked in a calm manner._

 _Timeskip - 20 minutes later_

" _Aw come on Tails…" Sonic said rather ticked at himself for losing a paper airplane contest to_

 _his friend. The two were tossing their models of planes out of Sonic's window and have been_

 _running outside to pick up their models. "That's 10 times in a row you've beaten me buddy, how_

 _do you keep doing it?" Tails turned confidently to his best friend and winked. "Well you need to_

 _factor in wind resistance, how well you fold the plane, the laminar and turbulent flow under the_

 _wings…" "Alright alright," Sonic said, cutting off his friend's technobabble. "I get it. I'm better at_

 _races and you're better at tech stuff." Sonic admitted. Although the duo had different strengths,_

 _Sonic's being physical and Tails's being more mental and technical, they had gotten along rather_

 _well since they first met in nursery school. The two friends shared a brotherly bond in everything_

 _they did from playground to schoolhouse to playdates like this. "Well hey, I gotta be good at_

 _something, don't I?" Sonic was about to respond when his father walked out to the yard to meet_

 _the two boys. Now, even though what I said was true about him being a successful business_

 _leader in Mobius was a true statement, he was also a very friendly and outgoing hedgehog as_

 _well. Sometimes he did act sternly towards some of his friends, but that was to either get them_

out _of trouble or to prevent them from getting_ in _to it. That lead many to mistakenly assume him_

 _to be brash, which he never intended to be. "Hello boys. What have you got going on this_

 _time?" he said, with a pearly white smile on his face that displayed confidence. To Sonic and_

 _Tails however, that smile could've also resembled that of a shark. Ready to snap and eat_

 _whatever prey it wanted. Although they were nervous, they did their best to be calm around_

 _Robert. "Oh, we were just flying paper airplanes for a bit. We asked mom if it was ok and she_

 _said 'yes.'" Robert knew his son long enough to know that he and his friend would be agitated_

 _at this moment, but he also knew he would have to be stern if need be. That was a challenge_

 _with Robert. Being tough enough to forge respect, but not overly aggressive to the point where_

 _he'd scare away others. "I see. The reason I came out was to see if you two knew anything_

 _about a student being thrown into a wall." Sonic and Tails looked at each other as if they were_

 _both deers in the headlights. Then Tails turned to Robert, slowly backing towards Sonic. "I was_

 _home getting ready for our playdate when that happened." Tails stuttered. "Oh I didn't say you_

 _did anything wrong Tails. The school just called all the parents to ask everybody what they_

 _know about it." Robert replied, careful to calm down the tone in his voice as not to scare away_

 _the two young friends. "Well dad," Sonic started, struggling to keep himself from quaking in fear._

" _What is it son?" Robert asked, seeing if Sonic was hiding anything from him. "You see,_

 _Knuckles was trying to bully me for my lunch money again…" Sonic started, but was abruptly cut_

 _off by his father. "Sonic, that doesn't give you ANY right to push him into a wall!" "I wouldn't_

 _be strong enough to do that!" Sonic backtracked, which only seemed to make his father even_

 _more stern and mad. "If you didn't, then who did? I know that one of you two know_ something

 _about this!" Now both Sonic and Tails took a quick step back. Robert then realized his temper_

 _went a little too far, so he took a deep breath and calmed down. That didn't seem to help Sonic,_

 _who was holding a protective arm over Tails, who was now quaking in fear. "I'm sorry. I didn't_

 _mean to scare either one of you." Robert apologized, backing away from the frightened kids._

" _Sonic, please meet me in your room; Tails, go see Sonic's mom for a bit." he said remorsefully._

 _Timeskip - 10 minutes later - in Sonic's room._

" _... And that's what really happened dad." Sonic finished as he was laying on his bed next to his_

 _dad finishing a conversation with him. Robert had dealt with many different Mobians before and_

 _he knew that some had special abilities and others did not. But he still needed to make sure he_

 _was hearing everything correctly, so he calmly asked his son to verify his information. "So let_

 _me get this straight son. Some red echidna has been bullying you for some time and you_

 _decide to get even with him by tricking him into trying to punch you only he punched the wall_

 _and flew through the school." Sonic nodded. Robert sighed, knowing that this issue he hadn't_

 _been aware of would possibly escalate if he didn't discuss this issue with him now. "Sonic, why_

 _did you trick him like that?" Sonic thought for a while about this question. He wanted to be_

 _careful about what he said, because all he knew was that one wrong move could tick his father_

 _off even more. "I just wanted him to stop bullying me, I didn't know I'd get in trouble for it."_

 _Sonic replied. "And yet here we are, discussing a wall you tricked him to break." Robert replied_

 _back, softly but sternly. "I know dad, but… " Sonic was interrupted by his father again. "Look_

 _Sonic, I understand where you're coming from. I used to deal with bullies all the time at my age_

 _too. I even tried the same thing as you did one time." Robert said, fully understanding and_

 _feeling his son's pain and humiliation. "Tricking the guy to run into a wall?" Sonic asked, trying_

 _to somewhat ease the tension in the room. His father chuckled, "No. What you tried to do to_

 _that echidna was getting even. What_ I _tried to do was get even. Now I'm not telling you_

 _this to make you feel bad son, but trying to get after someone just to get even is the wrong thing_

 _to do, no matter if they deserve it or not." Sonic listened, still trying to figure out where he was_

 _going with this talk. Robert understood his son enough to know that this was a new issue for_

 _him, so he decided to get to know the current situation better. "Do you remember why he_

 _started bullying you?" Sonic shook his head. "Well, last year, we were at gym and we were_

 _waiting for our parents to come pick us up. Because you were working late, Knuckles and I_

 _were the only two whose parents haven't come yet. I asked him why his parents haven't come_

 _yet and he said he didn't want to talk about it. Then I asked him if they were at work like you_

 _were but that made him more angry, I don't even know why." Robert nodded his head agreeing_

 _with his son. "Sounds like to me that you were too pushy towards him." Robert replied. Sonic_

 _instantly started to defend himself. "But dad I didn't mean to…" Robert raised his hand to stop_

 _his son. "I know you didn't," he answered calmly, "but sometimes you need to know when to_

 _stop picking on somebody. Now I know you were just curious and trying to make sure he was_

 _ok and you were coming from good intentions. But you gotta learn how to be respectful to other_

 _people as well." "So that means I can't mess with friends anymore?" Sonic asked somberly._

" _No no no, of course you can. It's just all about knowing when to stop when people get_

 _annoyed." Robert then cleared his throat, swallowed, then spoke. "Now tomorrow, I want you to_

 _tell Dolly Mation what happened and also apologize to Knuckles about what happened the first_

 _time. I've been through experiences to know that the first thing you want to achieve is peace,_

 _not war. Sometimes you have to fight someone who wants to disrupt peace in order to keep it,_

 _but_ never _let fighting be your first resort. Ok son?" Sonic nodded then hopped into his dad's_

 _waiting arms. "Son, I know I have issues sometimes, but never,_ never _, feel afraid to talk to me_

 _about anything. Understood?" Sonic nodded to his dad and the two embraced. "Hey Robert?"_

 _the duo heard a voice shout from the kitchen. "Yeah honey?" Robert called out. "You better_

 _come on out here, there's something on tv you need to see." Aleena responded._

 _Scene Change - Sonic's living room._

" _The imperial tyranny of Dr. Ivo Robotnik has widespread not only to the nearby planets of_

 _Ockur and Danglio, but have also been destroying major cities all throughout Mobius as well._

 _As we know, there has been no cities in Mobius spared from Dr. Robotnik's rage as he…" the_

 _reporter on the tv Robert and Aleena were watching was shot and shoved aside by a rather_

 _chubby man holding a pistol. The man with a red suit and brown zig-zag mustache grabbed the_

 _microphone from the now dead reporter and gave an evil laugh. The cameraman, who was now_

 _frozen with fear, had no other choice but to keep the camera pointed at the evil doctor as he_

 _cleared his throat. "Can everybody hear me now?!" the doctor looked around as if to see if_

 _everybody was listening. Since that the news broadcast was on every channel and everyone_

 _who turned off the tv had their homes blown up using the set as a bomb, they obviously were._

" _Good." the doctor sneered contentedly. "Here's what is going to happen. All of the top Mobius_

 _leaders in business and politics are going to meet me in the Jaded City in one hour to discuss,_

 _eh, a 'financial' offer if you will. Everyone in the town, except for those of childish age, are to_

 _attend. Every couple who has a child has to send one grown-up to watch after their child_

 _regardless of if they already have children or not._ Those _Mobians will be exempt from the_

 _meeting as I will see who was chosen from watching through the tv." The doctor rambled on_

 _and on about other requirements for the meeting, such as every citizen bringing 100 MobaRez_

 _(the Mobian currency), each citizen coming unarmed and that each Mobian not going to the_

 _meeting would_ still _be required to watch it on the tv. "You all have one hour to make_

 _the needed arrangements." the doctor finished as the tv showed a timer counting down._

" _Robert, who would we leave Sonic and Tails with?" Aleena asked, concerned about the welfare_

 _and safety of her child and her friend. Before the news report began, Robert (calmly) made sure_

 _Sonic and Tails stayed in Sonic's room while the news report aired. The youthful duo were_

 _currently reading comic books in Sonic's room when they heard a knock at the door. They_

 _turned to see Robert and Aleena at the door, evidently with nervous looks on their faces,_

 _although they struggled to cover them up for the kids. "So Sonic, Tails's parents and us too_

 _have to go to a meeting in the center of town, but we called grandma up to watch over you guys_

 _while we're gone, ok?" The children nodded, to verify they were ready for what was to come._

 _15 minutes later…_

 _Sonic's Grandma, Eloise, was 'watching' alright. First, she was watching Sonic and Tails, then_

 _she was watching her chocolate-chip cookies that she made for the boys bake, she then took_

 _those out 12 minutes later and ate a few. After that, she was watching the news on Robotnik's_

 _meeting (if watching meant listening to it while she slept peacefully on the couch.) Sonic and_

 _Tails were hunkered around the tv just like they would around a bonfire. Because the scenery_

 _was just eye-grabbing. Millions of Mobians gathered around the center of the planet to await for_

 _something. "Sonic, what do you think that is?" Tails asked his speedy blue companion. Sonic_

 _gazed at the tv screen looking for something. Something that would draw something as_

 _immense of a crowd to this particular location. He saw nothing changed about the buildings._

 _There was no party, band, balloons, streamers or anything to indicate a party. So what was_

 _going on? "Only one way to find out Tails." Before his friend could object, Sonic dragged Tails's_

 _hand and bolted out the door towards the center of Mobius. When Sonic slammed the door shut_

 _after leaving, Eloise immediately woke up startled. Then she went back to sleep._

 _(Meanwhile… in the town center…)_

 _Sonic and Tails had a tough time trying to find a place to see with all of the adults coming to the_

 _meeting. They wanted to go to the center of town to see the action, but Sonic didn't want to run_

 _anybody in the immense crowd of about a million Mobians and he also didn't want to risk Tails_

 _getting hurt."How are we gonna see with all these people?" Tails asked, Sonic had his thumb to_

 _his chin, thinking hard. Then he saw an abandoned alley corner and got an idea. "Buddy, today_

 _you're gonna see why they call me Sonic." Tails gulped as if to say, "I got a bad feeling about_

 _this." A second later, Sonic ran at the speed of sound right through the alley, ran up the wall and_

 _landed with Tails safely on the roof as if it was nothing. "Whoa, how did you…" Sonic put a_

 _finger to Tails's lips to shush him from finishing the sentence and turned he and his friend_

 _towards the Jade City center where a green spotlight shone on the doctor. "Mobians_

 _everywhere. Prepare to be amazed by what you are all about to see." He sneered with glee as_

 _an army of flying robots that looked like high-tech military drones, tanks that rolled_

 _out and terrorized the streets with their appearance, and even a vast army of humanoid robots_

 _of steel with built-in weaponry unlike which no Mobian had ever seen before. Nothing about this_

 _overlord was under quality. And if this wasn't shocking enough, he got into his vehicle, which_

 _was a space chair, that hovered up in the sky as several large parts of metal started to come_

 _together around the Egg-carrier. One of those parts inadvertently knocked Sonic and Tails off of_

 _the building they were standing on and back into the alley they were in earlier. A second after_

 _Sonic and Tails hit the ground with a thud, they heard millions of gunshots and people just_

 _panicking. Before Tails could ask what happened, Sonic sped out with all of the fury he had and_

 _used supersonic speed, rapid agility, quick thinking and damaging spin-dash moves to annihilate_

 _and destroy any and all of the robots that were destroying citizens (or attempting to). Along the_

 _way, he shouted warnings to everyone who survived to escape through the sewers and remain_

 _there until all the robots were gone. Some citizens were slowly gathering towards a sewer that_

 _was in the alley Tails was at. After a calm, cool and collected hedgehog named Jules (more on_

 _him in a later chapter) calmed everybody down and told Tails what was happening, the two_

 _worked rapidly on loosening the sewer lid for everyone to escape from the city via the sewers._

 _Meanwhile, Sonic defeated every single robot Eggman had, well, except for the really big robot_

 _that was currently standing right behind him and tapping him on the shoulder. Sonic attempted_

 _an attack on it, but the armor of the robot was too strong. "Hahahaha…" the evil voice from the_

 _doctor cackled out of the robot. "I gotta hand it to you, no army could ever destroy mine, let_

 _alone one citizen. But not even you alone can penetrate this machinery." Sonic ran back to the_

 _alley to get Tails to help. He expected his friend to be skeptical, but he actually dropped_

 _everything to help his friend. And another surprise popped out of the dumpster in the alley._

" _Don't worry Sonic, I'm here to help." Knuckles spoke with confidence, and smiling at him for_

 _the first time. Tails looked a little frightened again, this time for Sonic, knowing how Knuckles_

 _was a bit of a bully towards his friend. Sonic however was willing to let bygones be bygones._

 _He was gonna need all the muscle he could get, after all. "Alright guys, I got a plan." Sonic_

 _said, as the others huddled to hear it._

 _Timeskip - 15 minutes later_

 _The giant robot was still lurking around trying to find Sonic. Robotnik marveled at the creature's_

 _prowess and speed. "I'm gonna need to make a mental note to use some of that creature's_

 _ability into my future designs." he said to himself. He then got bored and then decided to use_

 _the very large loudspeakers on the robot to call for the creature. "Oh creature? I have a_

 _question for you. No one has ever stood up to me like this before, and admittedly, I'm pretty_

 _impressed with how you handled everything I've throw at you. But I have to ask, why go_

 _through all of this trouble? I understand not wanting to die, but why put all this effort into it?"_

 _Little did Robotnik know that about 100 miles away, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles all ran at a_

 _supersonic fast speed towards the giant robot. "Because Egghead…" Sonic shouted, with his_

 _new given nickname for Robotnick because of his smarts, "my townsfolk need to live. They_

 _need to have the ability to learn, grow, build, create and to show love, compassion and kindness_

 _to our world so that the whole universe can become better! But it can't become better if no one_

 _is defending it! THIS is who I am! I…" Sonic started to shout as they were nearing their_

 _target, "AM…" they started a combined spin-dash that knocked a hole in the chest of the giant_

 _robot and Sonic grabbed Robotnik out of the space-chair and as he and his friends_

 _disconnected, pinned the doctor down on the asphalt ground as Robotnik looked into Sonic's_

 _eyes with shock and defeat. "Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog, at your service." He said, doing a little_

 _bow before the doctor after getting off of him. After the robot was defeated, the rest of Mobius_

 _came out from the sewers, silenced at the shocking upset. Tails and Knuckles laughed for a bit._

" _Sonic, you were right, he_ does _look like an egg." "Yep, a jiggly little Eggman if I ever saw one."_

 _After that, Tails proceeded to give Eggman's belly a rub. "Who's the cute little Eggy, huh, who's_

 _the cutey wutey Eggy?" Tails proceeded in a baby voice. The doctor was still in a state of_

 _shock after what happened. "Alright. Officers?" Sonic called to a group of armed and ready_

 _police officers that dispersed from the crowd. "Take Dr. Eggman and put him in the cell where_

 _he belongs." Sonic confidently demanded. The officers took the doctor (now called Dr._

 _Eggman) and the whole planet cheered on its three newest heroes. The three who saved their_

 _world from an apocalypse like it has never faced before._

 _(Flashback/Dream Scene ends)_

Sonic woke up with a start. "So _that's_ why I do what I do." he said with realization. He knew

now why he wanted to be a hero. This was never about him, but something much bigger. To

ensure that everyone in the universe could have a chance to inspire and lead others in peace.

He was peacekeeper, guardian and hero. But above all, he _is_ Sonic.

 _Transition - Out in the woods._

It had taken a while for Gazelle to find Sonic's camp, but the fact that she was traveling light,

she carried a map of the woods and a compass and that she and Molly frequently camped here

every now and then to get away from the norm, lead her to find the tent where the fire slowly

started to die. She gently "knocked" on Sonic's tent. "Sonic, I know I'm the last animal of _any_

kind you want to see right now, but please listen to me. What I did to you with Justin was wrong.

I should have just kept my word to you before and, maybe if I told Justin to leave you wouldn't

be out here right now." Gazelle was starting to cry out tears of emotion, guilt and shame as her

sentences wandered on. "I don't deserve kindness Sonic, I deserved hatred. I don't deserve

pity, I deserve despise. Sonic, the one thing I want from you I'll never deserve. I don't deserve

your love. I deserve nothing but hate. If you want me to die, go ahead and tear at me with all

you have. Let nothing stop you. Because I don't deserve this fame, which is meaningless, or

this life unless you either end my misery _for_ me or forgive me now." Gazelle didn't know

whether Sonic was asleep or awake, or if he'd even remember her words, but she cried herself

to a somber sleep on the dirt, because she felt like that. Inadequate, stepped on, but now

humbled by the shame she put on herself. Little did Gazelle know that Sonic was listening to his

friend's self-rant on a certain device that Tails duplicated from Zootopia and gave to him before

his journey began…

 _Well, after a long month with school and life, I figured, you guys deserve this, so yeah. Special_

 _thanks and shoutout to Chimichangar for providing me with some info on Sonic's family_

 _background for this chapter of the tale, I figured that was really vital and also shout-out to new_

 _followers SusannahLilly and Incineroar for joining the E-LITO'S (Elito's. Yeah, you're all elite,_

 _that's what I'm calling you all.) Let's keep this going to reach that goal of 4,500 viewers, shall_

 _we? Anyhow, Aleena the Hedgehog belongs to SEGA and 10 belongs to Built by Titan and_

 _Starx (Anything that is_ not _owned by me is used for educational and entertainment purposes_

only. _) Any OC character, such as Molly Mongoose or Robert the Hedgehog_ are _owned by me_

 _and you_ will _need permission if you want to use them. Just PM me about it. If you have any_

 _questions, thoughts or anything interesting you want to say about LITO, review or PM me._

 _Home-stretch time pals. And you do_ not _wanna miss out on it. I will tell you this though, they_

will _be big and it might take me awhile to get those updates sent because I want to get it all_

 _perfect for your enjoyment. Until next time, Keep Loving, Keep Edifying, Keep LoveandEdifying._

 _See ya._


	28. Chapter 24: Shot Through the Heart

_Love In The Open_

 _Chapter 24: Shot Through the Heart…_

It was morning at Sonic's makeshift campsite as the stress-ridden Gazelle as she rubbed her

eyes and woke up. Surprisingly, she didn't find herself all covered in dirt or shivering and

shaking from the ordeal, but rather in Sonic's tent on his cot with the sun shining favorably over

her. She wondered why and how she was moved from the lowly dirt one minute to lying in

Sonic's cot the next. She slapped her left wrist with her right hoof. Yep, definitely real. She

unzipped the tent to see Sonic cooking some breakfast for himself. "Ah, finally, you're up."

Sonic said, as he handed his friend a plate of scrambled eggs, fruit and a cup of orange juice.

She took them, still confused at the kindness being shown to her after the humiliation she went

through, but ate anyway. "How was I in your tent last night?" Gazelle asked the blue hedgehog.

"Let's just say I heard some shivering on the ground." Sonic replied, not wanting to tell Gazelle

about the duplicate carrot-pen/recorder he had with him. "But how did I get there?" She asked,

still not getting her question answered. "Well I wouldn't leave you lying around in the cold,

would I? You could've froze to death out there." Sonic said, with great concern for Gazelle's

safety. "I would've deserved it anyway. I've been such a horrible friend." she said, with her

countenance drooping downward. "So what, we all make mistakes, right? Isn't that what I heard

somewhere before?" Sonic asked that last question with a bit more quippiness, trying to brighten

his friend up. But that didn't seem to work either. "No Sonic, I should've been bold enough to

keep my promise to you. I should've helped you when you needed it, but I thought that since

you'd leave me it wouldn't really matter because you wouldn't need me. But I'm ok with that

because after what I put you through you never deserved me. " Gazelle looked dejected at the

dirt while Sonic looked around ticked off, not at what Gazelle did to him by abandoning him, but

at the way she was talking down about herself. Just then, Sonic saw something that was out of

place. A tree branch in a tree about 50 yards away from him looked out of place and was

actually moving. Since he knew that there was no wind in the sky, he cautiously looked at

Gazelle. He knew what the branch actually was and he needed to get her out of the way

quickly. "Gazelle, move now!" Sonic saw the gun that was camouflaged as the branch move to

the left when he ran left. He knew who the target was gonna be, but he still couldn't bare to see

his friend dead on account of him. "Sonic, what do you think I've been trying to do?!" Gazelle

asked. "No, for real, MOVE!" Sonic yelled as he shoved her out of the way just in time as the

gun tried to shoot Sonic. The bullet missed and he was able to zip shut the tent so Gazelle

would stay safe. "Stay here!" he ordered his friend as he was going to get ready to take down

the gunner. As concerned as she was about her own safety, she was way more concerned

about her friend, so she ran at a natural gazelle speed on all fours to try and keep up.

 _Revolution by The Score plays from the chorus_

" _All my wolves begin to howl, wake me up the time is now. Oh, can you hear the drumming, Oh,_

 _there's a Revolution coming. Wild things that turn me on, drag my dark into the dawn. Oh, can_

 _you hear the drumming, Oh, there's a revolution coming..."_

Sonic was dodging bullets (literally) as he was coming closer and closer to the assassin, whose

black suit that now showed some sleek silver fur through tears in the suit, which indicated that

the suit was somewhat damaged, as if he had fought another formidable foe before this one.

Sonic, now knowing the ninja was out of bullets, spin-dashed up to leap over the ninja's head to

yank the mask off. However, because Sonic was too focused on _his_ maneuver, that he was

oblivious to the ninja sticking a pistol close to Sonic's chest and shot him. After the shot, the

combination of Sonic's weight and the force of the pistol's recoil knocked both of them from the

tree. The mask was completely ripped off of the warrior now, who clutched the lifeless blur in

one muscular hand. Just then, he heard some kind of galloping from behind him. Gazelle got

there just in time to see the ninja clutching her friend ever-so-tightly. "Alright you coward, you've

had your violence for today. Now hand me my friend back!" she said, with the fury evident in

her tone. The ninja turned around to glare at her with a grin that resonated pure evil. "Oh, you

mean _this...weak...friend_?!" he growled, putting hate and malice into each of the final three

words. Anger and sadness washed over her face as she got one good look at the villain. The

villain who went by the dreaded Kyman Klaw. The villain, whose name was…

 _Song ends._

 _Come on, I_ love _cliffhangers! Don't you?_ Especially _right before something vital happens like_

 _discovering a killer's identity. OH MAN this is fun! Anyhow, when I said the chapters were_

 _gonna be "big" I meant as in "big deal." The reason I wanted to make this chapter shorter was_

 _because I was originally gonna combine this with the next chapter to make it epic, but then I_

 _realized I would be making it too spoiled and too long for most of you. Which is why LITO has_

 _been extended to include 3 more chapters after this one, as well as the Q &A I promised at the _

_end of LITO. "Revolution" is owned by The Score (Everything that doesn't belong to me is used_

 _for educational and entertainment purposes_ ONLY! _) Anyhow, exciting news as well. The latest_

 _chapter on my story I collabed with Whadup5 on, "The Race: Winner Takes All" is up now if you_

 _want to follow and check that story out as well and also, I am literally 8 views away from 4,500_

 _(the goal I told you about a while ago) and I can't thank all of you loyal E-LITO's enough for_

 _either following, reviewing, PM'ing or just viewing to see what it's like. Thank you all SO_

 _MUCH! :-) Oh, btw, if any of you have guessed who the Kyman Klaw is, do me a favor and_

DON'T _put it on a review! I don't want to have a review on their that would potentially take_

 _viewers into spoiler country. Rather, just PM me your guess. I won't tell you if you're right or_

 _wrong, just find out in the next chap. Which might be about a month or so. ;-) Bye._


	29. Chapter 25: A Time to Fall

_Previously on Love In The Open…_

 _The mask was completely ripped off the warrior now, who clutched the lifeless blur in one_

 _muscular hand. Just then, he heard some kind of galloping from behind him. Gazelle got there_

 _just in time to see the ninja clutching her friend ever-so-tightly. "Alright you coward, you've_

 _had your violence for today. Now hand me my friend back!" she said, with the fury evident in_

 _her tone. The ninja turned around to glare at her with a grin that resonated pure evil. "Oh, you_

 _mean this...weak...friend?!" he growled, putting hate and malice into each of the final three_

 _words. Anger and sadness washed over her face as she got one good look at the villain. The_

 _villain who went by the dreaded Kyman Klaw. The villain, whose name was…_

Love In The Open

Chapter 25: A Time to Fall…

At the same time as the archvillain stared Gazelle down, Judy was asking Silver some

questions. First the questions were subtle fun ones for her to write/record to better know her

faithful companion. Silver's arms were currently in casts and his shoulders were in shambles

from the attack he had to pull off, but his heart was better off now knowing that the two loved

each other, as in _really_ loved each other now. They could have cared less whether it was

romantic, friendly or that of a brother and sister. They were really glad to see their friendship

progressed. "So Silver, does this mean you're staying here or are you heading back to

Mobius?" Judy asked. She was officially off-duty for the day, but figured it would be the perfect

time to ask her friend that question. Silver thought hard about her question. "Well, I don't know

how long I'll stay, but what _is_ guaranteed is that…" As if a bolt of lightning struck him on the

head, he remembered something from his last battle with the Kyman Klaw. "Silver, what's

wrong?" Judy asked, rather concerned by Silver's reaction. "Was Tails carrying a book of any

kind when he first came here?" Silver asked. Judy thought for a moment. "Yeah, it was called

' _Worlds Beyond_ ' or something like that…" " _Worlds Beyond: Planets and What You Need To_

 _Know_!" Silver shouted in realization, but the pain came back to him rather quickly. The bunny

was quick to calm him down. "Yeah, that's it." Judy replied. "Did somebody steal it from him?"

Silver asked, rather agitated. "No, in fact right before he left, he wanted to give the book to a

prisoner to help them reform through education. I must've really inspired the guy." Judy quipped.

Silver, this time, was not in a quipping mood. "Do you remember who the prisoner was?" He

asked the bunny rather frantically. "No I didn't, Silver calm down, ok. The Klaw's dead,

nothing's gonna hurt us now, you killed him." but Judy's attempt to calm him down was met with

failure. "I only wounded him enough to _weaken_ him, I wanted the ZPD to make the arrest so that

nobody would think we're murderers." "I didn't make the kill, you did." Judy reminded him, rather

shocked at that type of language coming so harshly at her. "We as in Mobians. What do you

think we are, a bunch of _savages?!_ " At that word, Judy had a mental flashback to the

confrontation she had with Nick and Tails at the press conference. Then she remembered all

the other times she flopped with Silver. Because she reacted. This time, she not only learned

from her mistakes, but took action to not fall into them again. She breathed deeply to calm

down, closed her eyes and mentally counted to 10. When she was done, she saw Silver now

have guilt and shame on his face as he closed his eyes and let his head drop to the floor. He

was now breathing profusely as if he was about to cry. "I'm sorry." Judy looked at her friend

with a saddened perplexion. "If you want to leave," Silver started before gasping for air, as if he

was going to cry "If you want me to leave Zootopia, that's fine by me. I don't want to do

anymore damage to them." Judy then asked Silver something else in a sympathetic tone. "Is

that the only reason you're worried? Because you felt like you damaged the city?" Silver now

had tears strolling down his face as he shook his head no. "I don't want to do damage to _us_."

Silver couldn't resist the sadness coming from his heart and Judy couldn't resist the sympathy

from hers. "How do you think we've been damaged?" Judy asked. Silver took a breath before

responding. "How do you feel about knowing a failure? The one that let the bad guy get away?"

Silver asked to no one in particular. Ahem, to no one in… Oh yeah, never mind. No 4th-wall

stuff here. But Judy was much more stronger this time than she normally was in emotional

situations like this. Because she needed to be strong for her friend, her love. Someone, for him

to lean on. "Then I'd know someone who's just like me. Silver, I let Bellwether divide the city

from under my nose, called my friends savages because I was too concerned about my own

reputation and was even caught off-guard about the Ring coming to attack." Judy then asked

Silver the nail in the coffin questions that made him defeat his self-doubt. "Do you see me as a

failure?" Silver was quick to answer this question. "Of course not. Because you learned from

your mistakes." "Are you?" Judy asked. Silver then thought long and hard about the answer.

Sure he let his comedic side get in the way the first time they met, but he made it up to her and

only continued to get better. Despite the failures and the breakdowns, he always got better.

Sometimes Judy helped him get better, other times it was on his own. He then understood that

his "failures" were only things to learn from and improve upon. Silver then smirked at the bunny,

which made her start giggling a bit. "What's so funny?" Silver asked his bunny friend. She

stifled her laughter. "I don't know, what were you smirking at?" She asked, with the joy of seeing

her friend happy remain on her face. Silver smiled at her again. "Well, I'd hug you right now

Judy, but my shoulders are strapped." Judy just gave his friend a soft hug anyway, knowing full

well he was hugging back in his heart. After that, both refocused on the case at hand.

"Right, so do you have any way to contact the

ZPD. So we can ask them who Tails gave the book to?" Judy checked her phone, but

unfortunately saw that the battery was at 3%. "Oh great, what a time for tech to work." Judy

spoke disappointedly and sarcastically into the phone. "It's ok, even if the phone was charged

and you made the call, I still would've known who it was." Judy shot him a look that said,

"Really? You knew _all this time_ and you choose _now_ to tell me?!" "So," Silver started, "the

creature holding the book was about my height. I fatally wounded him and knocked him out of

the same window I tossed you out of." As if she was finally putting the pieces together, her ears

perked up at this realization. "Wait a minute. Before I saw you, I took a picture of the ninja. I

took off the mask, and it was a wolf. Good thing I sent those pics to him before the phone died."

Judy said. "So think about it for a second…" Silver stated. "What wolf is my height?" "Reformed,

but is still gullible?" Judy contributed to the onslaught of questions. Followed by Silver's, "Is

able to sweep enough Zootopians off of their feet to follow him? Including Gazelle… " which was

followed by Judy's "...who would trick her into breaking her promise to Sonic so that he would

give in to despair…" "...so that he would be successful in snatching the Chaos Emeralds!" The

duo exclaimed at the exact same time. The 7 chaos emeralds are the most powerful artifacts

known in the universe. They have both positive and negative energy from within them and

can bring out the very worst or very best in an individual. These emeralds (which in appearance

look more like diamonds) can be used mentally, meaning they read the thoughts of the person

using them and converted those thoughts into power. However, it takes practice to get thoughts

in tuned with the emeralds in order for this somewhat symbiotic relationship to work.

One emerald individually can be used to control time and space, but if one person

wielded all 7 emeralds, then their power makes the person practically invincible. However, after

some period of time, the power leaves them because although they make the individual more

powerful, they also drain the individual's natural strength as well. So as not to cause harm to

their user, the power leaves when it needs to and the emeralds scatter to various locations until

called upon again or somebody collects them all. "So Justin must have been the Kyman Klaw

the whole time." Judy remarked. Silver had one last concern to get off of his chest, but this

time, it wasn't about himself.

"I almost died fighting him instead of while blowing his base up. If he's as

formidable as he was without the emeralds…" he didn't need to say anymore as they both knew

what he would've said next. "Silver, it's fine. It's why I wanted to be a cop. To make the

world a better place." Judy told Silver, who was satisfied with the final part of the "Judy Hopps

Case" being solved. She rapidly hopped out of the hospital to the scene of the crime while

Silver waited until Brooke (the moose nurse mentioned in Chapter 22) was ready to take over

for taking care of him again.

 _A few minutes later, in the woods._

A broken-hearted, confused, scared and hurt Gazelle stood staring at the now darkened, violent

and malevolent toothy scowl on his face. She thought that Justin had reformed, that he was

actually her friend again. But the silver tongue in his mouth was forked and his heart was now

purely corroded. "You wanna know what the best kinda lies are Gazelle?" Justin asked in a dark

and condescending tone. This time, Gazelle was more angry than scared. Angry at her friend's

betrayal, angry that Sonic was killed by such a beast but above all, angry at herself for not

having the discernment to figure out who Justin really was or the will to not give in to his

tempting deceptions. "The one's with a little bit of truth." Justin laughed a vile laugh as he

answered his own question. He shook Sonic like a rag doll trying to get something out of the

scratched-up and lifeless corpse. Gazelle had enough and tried ramming into Justin with her

horns. But even though the attack was noble, Justin was too fast for her as he snatched her in

his other paw. "It's not you I want fool!" Justin snarled, looking at Gazelle. He finally seen

7 gem-like objects fall onto the ground. The 7 Chaos Emeralds. He threw Gazelle onto the

ground, but she recovered with catlike reflexes. It was then that Judy saw Justin with the

emeralds, so she rapidly hopped next to Gazelle. She stared at the nightmarish sight. Sonic

the Hedgehog, Mobius's hero. Dead. And the emeralds within Justin's grasp. Tails, Nick, KZ

and Chief Bogo all arrived to witness tragedy. Still knowing that he had to do something, Chief

Bogo bellowed out, "Justin, hand over the chaos emeralds or face certain death!" Gazelle

looked shocked and anxious at the chief. "No, not death please. There has been enough deaths

today." she begged him. Chief Bogo looked at the pop star confused and rather mad. "What do

you mean?" He asked, as if he was ready to charge at her for interrupting his attack. Justin just

smirked evilly at the confused company starring at him, then started to put Sonic's body in the

form as if it were a spin-dash. " _THIS_ is what she meant." he growled as he hurled Sonic like a

baseball straight towards Gazelle, who caught him even though careening backwards a few feet

from the effect of the throw. "You know Gazelle, I was never wanting to kill you that night I first

attacked." He said, referring to when Sonic first came to Zootopia after the Night Howler case.

"Oh no no no. You were supposed to be held for ransom for the space station so I could attack

Mobius, but I'll have to admit, Sonic coming here unannounced is better. Now that I think about

it." Justin finished. Gazelle said nothing, as she lay down by Sonic's side, angered at the

murderous, bloodlusting wolf who betrayed her and tricked her into betraying who might have

been her best friend. With Sonic dead, she would never know now. Justin then tossed the

emeralds in the air and then spoke in "Now let me show you a little something called… CHAOS

CONTROL!" at those words, his fur became as black as the midnight sky. The irises of his

eyes were scarlet red, his pupils were as black as his fur and his sceleras (or what would be

known as "the whites of his eyes.") were now yellow. His teeth now had the sharpness of

swords, his claws were that of knives and his body began to grow in size, muscle and height,

until he had become a giant. The Chaos Giant, if you will, for that's what the energy of the

emeralds made him into. He then shoved some of the trees down as if they were a stack of

toothpicks, which luckily did not fall onto our heroes as he jumped over the forest like he would a

hurdle for a track meet, then set off to conquer Zootopia. The heroes were left with no idea how

to stop the impending chaos, until a bold Spanish voice spoke up. "Get as much Zootopians

evacuated as you can." Gazelle said, fiercely gazing at them with the authority of a true general.

A true leader. "But where can we put them?" Judy asked. Tails then spoke up. "I modified my

portable portal device to fit up to 10 now. If we can get as much of them towards the woods, I

can transport enough away from Justin." Gazelle then had to object. "Justin _would_ want

prisoners, he needs _somebody_ to show how powerful he is." Chief Bogo then reassumed

command. "Hopps: take some cops and lead City Central and Bunnyborrow citizens out. Tails:

you have Little Rodentia and Rainforest District. Wilde: You have Tundratown and Sahara

Square. KZ: You'll be our eyes, make sure everything's going smoothly and don't let Justin

catch you. There will be some ZPD and S.W.E.A.T. stalling him so that the citizens can escape.

Is that clear?" the chief ordered in a no-nonsense tone. All of them saluted, said "Yes sir!" then

went to their designated area. Bogo turned towards Gazelle but she stopped him by raising up

her hoof. "Your cops are going to need someone to lead them." Bogo thought carefully about

the singer's words. "Justin would come back to try and get you." Gazelle looked down at Sonic

again when tears started to form, then back to Bogo. "One good animal is nowhere near as

important as many lives." she showed the chief Sonic's body to prove her point. "Sonic

sacrificed himself to try and prevent many more lives from being taken. I would rather it be me

than my city that is destroyed today." Bogo then understood where Gazelle was coming from.

The example of the blue blur's nobility impacted them all, and now, two prominent figures in

Zootopia saw it first-hand. "Very well. Stay safe Gazelle." the chief warned as he ran to catch

up with his cops. Gazelle lowered her horned head and she resumed her mourning. Mourning

for the stranger she hardly known. Mourning for one that treated her with compassion, dignity

and respect. Mourning for the one who saw her as more than a superstar pop artist. Mourning

for the only one she could ever love. "Oh Sonic," she spoke in gasps that were choked by sobs.

"If only I could've loved you better."


	30. Chapter 26: Death

Love in the Open: Chapter 26

Death

Chaos ensued over the city of Zootopia as it faced another great threat. Unlike the last one,

which was a parasite from within, this catastrophe was beyond what any of them could have

imagined. A giant composed of pure, chaotic evil roamed the city damaging buildings and

forcing many Zootopians to flee in a fear-filled rampage. Even as there were brave citizens

such as Judy, Nick and Chief Bogo were leading a mass exodus to Bunnyborrow, the location of

his new and improved portal station which would send some towards escape from the beast's

clutches, along with KZ and some S.W.E.A.T. pilots stalling the darkened wolf for escape to be

possible; they all knew that it would all be for naught. Not everyone would be able to escape to

freedom, no one can hold the evil creature back for long. In the end, everyone knew that there

was no hope for their city. No hope for Zootopia.


	31. Chapter 27: Rise of Sonic

Love In The Open

Chapter 27

Rise of Sonic

When KZ and the S.W.E.A.T. Aerial corps tried to hold off Justin, something weird happened.

The 7 Chaos Emeralds suddenly left Justin. Even though this didn't reduce the beast's power,

this left everyone on S.W.E.A.T. stunned. "Astonishing." a dove named Eva remarked. "What

do you think happened?" she asked KZ. "I don't know Eva." KZ replied. "I just don't know."

 _Scene Change… In the woods_

Gazelle was kneeling down on the ground, clouded in a flood of emotion. Heartbreak, pity,

sorrow and most dominant of all, love. She finally dared ask the questions she dared not ask

when her friend was alive with her. "Why did you ever think that I was worth your time? Why did

you care so much about me? Why couldn't you have been honest about how you felt about me

and Justin?" she inhaled deeply as she looked to the sky. "I never deserved your love Sonic. I

never have and I never will." then after that, she slowly whispered to herself three words she

would never utter to anyone else in Zootopia. Three words that contradicted one of the core

aspects of her personality. "I… give… up." Some time passed before Gazelle heard some guitar

chords, as if a rock band was nearby. She turned her head towards the sound to see a strange

sight. As the emeralds came closer and closer to her, the music got louder and louder, until they

went into Sonic. Suddenly…

 _Feel Invincible by Skillet starts from the chorus_

" _You make me Feel Invincible, earthquake powerful; Just like a tidal wave, you make me brave._

 _You're my titanium, fight song raising up; Like the roar of victory in a stadium!_

 _Who can touch me cause I'm, I'm made of fire; Who can stop me tonight? I'm hard-wired!"_

 _Music pauses_

To say that Sonic was not only alive; but stronger, faster and more powerful caused Gazelle to

flip out in surprise is a _massive_ understatement. When she saw Sonic go into his Super mode

thanks to the emeralds, she immediately leapt backwards in a combination of shock and horror.

As she saw his transformation, her figurance went from gloom and despair to that as if she

saw a bolt of lightning reveal a ghost. Sonic flew down to Gazelle, but the scared creature

backed away. He chuckled for a bit. "Oh, not used to the new look huh? Well, that's what

happens when the positive side of the emeralds power their positive master. Although it takes a

master to use both the positive _and_ the negative sides." The pair then both heard screams in

terror. As Sonic flew up to see what was causing all the chaos, he saw the fight between Justin

and S.W.E.A.T. just up ahead. "Oh now I see what's going on." he exclaimed. "Stay here, I'll

take care of this guy in no time." The tone in which he spoke and his actions had revealed that

the Sonic of old; the carefree, free as the wind, humorous, confident, loyal and pure-hearted

hedgehog had not only returned, but rose.

 _Music resumes._

" _I feel it, feel it. Invincible! (2x)"_

Sonic scanned the sky to find the monster ravaging the town and recognized the beast as

Justin, confirming a suspicion he had for a while.

" _Here we go again, I will not give in; I've got a reason to fight. Everyday we choose, we might_

 _win or lose; this is the dangerous life."_

"Hey fluffy-face!" he shouted to the

Chaos Giant. Justin turned around, surprised and ticked off to see Sonic, now fueled by the

positive energy of the emeralds. "What?!" he snarled in disbelief. "But _how_?!" he asked. Sonic

laughed. "Let's just say you haven't read _everything_ in that book of yours. Now, are you ready

to get off the couch and show me how _real_ of a predator you are?!" he said with confidence.

Justin tried using a various range of chaos attacks. From chaos spears to accelerated punches

and attacks, but they failed because Sonic dodged them all with supersonic speed. "Really?

Slow-mo?" Sonic asked, mocking the tyrannical thing that stood before him.

The beast was visibly riled up as smoke seemed to flare from his

nostrils. "Come on bro, you wanna take over the world yet you can't beat a simple hedgehog?"

" _Hey hey hey everyday when I wake. They say that I'm gone, they say that they're won; The bell_

 _has been rung; it's over and done. Hey hey hey when I need to be saved. They counting me_

 _out, but this is my round; with you in my corner look at me now."_

he continued to taunt as his nemesis's anger boiled and boiled increasingly as his veins were

ready to pop from all of the pressure. "Well then, you wanna catch me, you gotta go fast and

from what _I_ see, YOU'RE… TOO… SLOW!" Sonic then lead the Chaos Giant out of Zootopia

and into the woods.

" _Shot like a rocket up into the sky, nothing can stop me tonight"_

 _Chorus_

The Giant chased Sonic a few times as he flew in an erratic pattern and zig-zagged a few times

to keep his opponent running. Sonic was careful to not let Justin run into Zootopia, but he did

successfully wear him out enough to lead him into the woods away from Gazelle and _away_ from

Zootopia. The S.W.E.A.T. team watching the scene unfold were in shock and awe. "Amazing, I

thought he was dead. What happened?" KZ asked, who seemed the most shocked out of all of

them. Eva looked at him with serious intention in her eyes. "Well, one thing we _do_ know is that

we need to get the word out. And fast. You call Chief Bogo and I'll call the mayor." KZ nodded

as the two got on their phones.

 _Meanwhile, in Bunnyborrow…_

Nick lead a few anxious Zootopians that were getting off the train in a full on sprint for the portal

as Judy and Tails were waiting at the portal entrance. While they were waiting for Nick to lead

them to the portal, Chief Bogo was on a phone-call from KZ. "Mhm, mhm, you've seen _what_?!"

He exclaimed in disbelief. "I understand how it would bring morale, but I don't think

that could happen. Alright, goodbye." Chief Bogo hung up the phone ready to break some

interesting news to two interested friends. "Apparently KZ saw a golden version of Sonic flying

around City Central luring Justin out of Zootopia and into the woods." Judy saw confusion in her

boss's words, while Tails saw them as hope. "Super Sonic." he exclaimed. "Super Sonic?" Judy

exclaimed, baffled at Tails's compliment. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. The Chief

held Tails's book up to a section about the chaos emeralds he meant to read into sooner, but

didn't until now due to the first confrontation with Justin and the emeralds and smiled. "I think I

know what he means." he said.

 _Song ends_

 _Meanwhile, back in the woods…_

Sonic got Justin to run as far to a secluded area in the woods where there weren't as much

trees as there was thick underbrush. The Chaos Giant stood tall and stared at him. Exhausted,

out of breath but still confident that he could win. "So, you think you could…" before he could

finish, he saw Sonic spin-dashing at the speed of light right through his heart where bleeding

occurred. This made Justin wince and howl in extreme pain. Sonic relished in the moment. "I

told you, if you wanna beat me…" he started, as he performed multiple spin-dashes all

throughout Justin's body at the speed of light, increasing in power and damage each time until

his adversary was virtually kneeling in agony on the ground. Sonic then resumed his trash-talk.

"... you gotta go fast!" Sonic then looked at the fatal condition of his adversary. He was alive,

but his life hung by a thread. Sonic never wanted to kill Justin, because he had hope that he

could be lead out of his dark ways of thinking. He had mercy upon his enemies, giving them a

second-chance to turn their lives around because he saw the potential in them to make their

own lives and the lives around them even better. But in some cases, he knew that evil was evil

and it had to be harshly punished, or if the situation was critical enough, destroyed. Sonic then

knew what to do. "Now, let's see if you know the oldest trick in the book. My friend's book that

is. Chaos Portal!" he commanded. Just then, a giant portal came from behind Justin, sucking

him up into the black hole. Nothing else except Justin were sucked. After he was sucked in, the

portal shut in on itself and all became still as the energy of the emeralds left him and he became

Sonic once more as the emeralds dropped on the ground right next to him, unharmed, after he

landed.

 _Meanwhile, on the Lost Hex. On a certain bridge, near certain lava…_

Just like with Sonic, Justin had too reverted back to his normal form, only because the chaos

energy left him, he was hanging by a thread more than ever and the blood dropping out from his

wounds had increased, until finally he fell limply and weakly off the bridge and lifelessly into the

lava below.

 _Meanwhile, Back in the woods…_

Sonic knelt down next to the emeralds as he soaked in the achievement he had accomplished.

Not for himself, not for Gazelle, not for any _one_. He had done it for Zootopia, the city that

needed saving. As he finally finished, a figure tapped him on the shoulder. Sonic turned around

to see the teary-eyed face of Gazelle right behind him. Sonic brought her down to her knees

and hugged her close to him, reassuring her that they were alright. The betrayer had been cast

out. The battle, had been won. After embracing Gazelle for some time, she looked Sonic

straight in his eyes, preparing to speak, but still taking in what happened. "I thought you were

dead." she stammered. Sonic looked on her with compassion. "Nope. Thanks to the positive

energy of the chaos emeralds." Gazelle nodded slowly, getting ready to speak again. She knew

that sooner or later she would have to apologize to her friend for all the pain that she had put

him through, but with the recent shake-ups she went through and seeing how Sonic almost died,

she knew that the perfect time to tell him was now. "Please, Sonic listen to me. I know what I

did to you was wrong and I'd take it all back if I could, but you need to hear me out on this right

now." After taking a few seconds to think it over, Sonic nodded his head, indication he was

willing to listen. "When we first met, at the concert, there was something about you that was

mesmerising. And when we first hung out together, I thought I was just helping a friend out with

their problems, when in reality, you were also helping me. Helping me see myself as more than

a celebrity. As Gazelle, the common, beautiful girl who was always willing to be there for her

friends." Her countenance then dropped to reveal sadness on her face. "I guess even beauty

has its flaws though. I didn't want you to feel like you always had to do all of these things for me

to show how much you cared. And yet you kept doing them." She was now starting to cry as her

brain recalled the heart-breaking memories and now realized how much those choices affected

her as much as they did Sonic. "I never should have been ashamed of having you around. I

never should have made those decisions. You were my best friend and I made you leave my

life, all because my reputation was more important. But seeing you be so kind, pure,

charming and how supportive you were." She paused a minute to ready herself to say the words both of them knew

she needed to say. "The point is Sonic… I'm sorry." she

broke down completely at the feet of the ocean blue hedgehog of whom she was uncertain of if

he would ever forgive, much less speak, to her ever again. She sobbed as she lied down there.

"I know you don't love me anymore and maybe even hate me now. But that

doesn't change that I love you. I love you so much." she sobbed as she

poured all of her guilt, disappointment and pain in the form of tears that soaked the ground as

she whispered desperately, "Please still believe in me, please still believe in me…"

 _Well, is that amazing or is that AMAZING?! So Sonic goes super, knocks out the Kyman Klaw_

 _and saves Zootopia from certain disaster. But how about the other disaster? Will he forgive_

 _Gazelle? Is their friendship going to be restored? Find out more next time in the final chapter of_

 _Love In The Open. I gotta say, I really enjoyed working on this story, bringing my two favorite_

 _things to life. Sonic and Zootopia on an awesome crossover scale. I'm honored to be working on_

 _this story and will give all of it 110% effort and double it. (So 220%.) Anyhow, after the last story_

 _chapter, be sure to send me any questions you have about Love In The Open or its sequel story,_

 _The Project in a Review or a PM because those questions will be in a special Q &A chapter that _

_will officially close the book on LITO and kickstart Rise of the Resistance. "Feel Invincible" is owned by the_

 _band Skillet. (Any_ and _all content not owned by me is used for_ educational _and_ entertainment

 _purposes_ only. _)_ _You should check their content out on Youtube, they are a really awesome band_

 _to follow on social media and to listen to. Anyhow, I gotta be singing off because I'm gonna be_

 _on a vaycay in a few days as well as working on the final chapter for LITO. I've done so well in_

 _my opinion, but I wanna finish out strong. Thanks for the support. See ya later!_


	32. Chapter 28 (Conclusion): Love Unlimited

Love In The Open

Chapter 28 (Conclusion): Love Unlimited

Sonic stared his depressed friend in her wounded tear-filled eyes. The very same plea that he

had used to beg for her aid and guidance were now calling out to him. The hedgehog, the

gazelle; both had tremendous emotion during their moments of vulnerability. Her guilt-forged

chains that she wore brought her kneeling right down to his level. As crazy as it seemed, only a

few days before, she saw herself as royalty. She thought she was living a humble life for a

famous star. Donating time, money, food and material possessions to those that have had life

hard, made her feel like she was offering a ray of hope to those who needed it. When she was a

young fawn, she knew she had a real gift for singing; when she was older, she realized she can

use her gifts and compassion to help others in need and recently, she felt like she was doing

quite well for herself and for her community. But now, she truly understood it was never enough.

There was one thing that Sonic and the citizens of Zootopia had felt that Gazelle never

experienced. Broken. Shattered. Hopeless. Ever since she could remember, she always was the

one who had everything in abundance. Family, friends, money, the basic necessities and

beyond. Although she was never greedy and gave abundantly, she was still blessed beyond

what she could imagine from fans, strangers and friends alike. But when she first betrayed

Sonic, it was as if her whole was shattered. Shattered until millions of small fragments of what

she once was remained along with the dust and ash she had been looking down at. She had

spoke wonderful words that inspired many and gave others the strength to carry on. But

when she failed to show love to the one who needed it most, her words now sounded like

cymbals clanging in a marching band. Noisy and causing a racquet for everyone she passed.

She gave many things of herself to help benefit a lot of Zootopians and she was repeatedly

blessed for her nobility. But since she failed to give Sonic the time he sought and desired, she

felt that she not only gained nothing from their friendship, but that she _was_ nothing. Nothing but

shattered gems which were the fragments of her very self. As her self-confidence broke, she

truly knew what it was to be like those she cared for. Poor, abandoned and hopeless. Simply

ready to give up everything to escape the misery, yet the fragments that weren't yet cracked

beckoned her to do the right thing, even though it may be the _last_ time anyone would count on

her to do it once word got out about her betrayal of her friend. The friend that she knew would

never forgive her.

Or so she thought.

Before she knew what happened, she was being lifted up to her feet (hooves) by Sonic, as if he

was trying to lighten the weight of her guilty burden. He then let her collapse, but caught her in

his arms to prevent her from hitting the ground. As surprised as she was by this, Sonic then

brought her down on one knee, then whispered calmly in her ear, "When have I ever stopped?"

Gazelle was shocked by what happened. She was expecting some kind of response about the

problems she caused, a lecture about broken promises, even him just simply walking away; but

all he said was "When have I ever stopped?" Sonic turned to walk out of the woods after saying

that, but this time, Gazelle didn't let him get away without an answer. She caught him at the

forest's entrance. (Sonic was _walking_ , as in, taking a nice calm stroll. Just because you're fast

doesn't mean you have to run all the time.) She seemed to be out of breath from the distance

she walked to catch up to him, because Sonic was a speedy stroller. The hedgehog turned to

see her leaning on him, attempting to regain her breath. "Wow, you're persistent, aren't you?" he

said, in an observant yet playful tone. Gazelle looked up at Sonic perplexed. She was

wondering if he suffered a head trauma from the fight with Justin because he seemed to forget

what transpired between the two over the last few days. "What," she gasped with each word.

"Do you mean, by that?" she asked. Sonic then turned to her again. "When did you

think I stopped believing in you?" he asked, making sure she actually heard it, although she was

still dumbfounded by Sonic not bringing up the incident. "When you sent me this note?" Gazelle

pointed out, handing him the phone with the same sticky note she read. Sonic then got the

sticky off of the phone and ripped it into pieces and then asked, "What note?" Gazelle then

thought either Sonic was going crazy or he completely forgot everything altogether and her look

said all as Sonic started to laugh at his friend's confused expression. Seeing her friend happy

again slowly made her snap out of her confusion as she started laughing along as well. The two

laughed for a while until the two finally sat down at the forest's entrance, just gazing over at the

sunset that crested over Zootopia. The guilt that seemed to weigh Gazelle down slowly started

to fade away and the tears and sadness that once possessed her face were once again

replaced with the beautiful, pure and radiant smile she once possessed. Sonic then spoke up to

break up the brief silence. "Gazelle, I know you felt

pretty bad about what you did." this immediately caused Gazelle to turn her head as Sonic

continued. "And it's ok to feel like you messed up, I mean, you wouldn't _believe_ the number of

times _I_ messed up." she smiled at her friend and asked him a playful question. "Oh really, how

many times have _you_ messed up, Sonic the Hedgehog?" Sonic turned and smirked. "Well, if I

told you, you might not wanna believe in _me_ anymore." Gazelle laughed at the remark, then

turned serious. "Sonic, there is nothing you have ever done that will make me stop believing in

you. You have proved it to me time and time again. So what if you mess up? Everybody messes

up all the time." She then started to sing not just a song, but a special song. The first song Sonic

heard her sing.

 _Try Everything by Shakira plays_

" _I messed up tonight, I lost another fight, I still mess up but I'll just start again."_

" _I keep falling down, I keep on hitting the ground, I always get up now to see what's next."_

 _Bridge:_

" _Birds don't just fly, they fall down and get up."_

" _Nobody learns without getting it wrong."_

 _Music pauses…_

After starting out, she then paused to dwell on her own mistakes that she made with Sonic along

the way. He noticed this, then motioned for her to follow him out of the woods and into City

Central. What Gazelle was expecting was a stroll with a friend; what she saw, caught her by

surprise. Judy, Silver, Chief Bogo, Nick, KZ, Tails and about 1,000 other Zootopians filled the

center, each holding a balloon and singing the rest of the song, as if they were all in a choir.

 _Song continues…_

 _Chorus:_

" _I won't give up, no I won't give in, 'til I reach the end, then I'll start again."_

" _No I won't leave, I wanna try everything; I wanna try even though I could fail." (2x)_

" _Oh oh oh oh oh, try everything." (3x)_

" _Oh oh oh oh oh."_

" _Try Everything."_

Unlike the _first_ time Sonic was around to hear that song, a much more favorable surprise

awaited the two when it finished. The crowd released their balloons and streamers fell down

from some of the skyscrapers and a huge banner with a picture of Gazelle and Sonic, which

was skillfully drawn and crafted by a famous artist, that stretched about a mile long from one

skyscraper to another. In fact, the whole center of the city seemed to be bordered and shut

down. Not to protect from enemies, but rather to provide a space for a party. A party for two

heroes. Gazelle looked at Sonic, who was somewhat smirking in the distance to no one in

particular. "Ok Sonic, how did you know about this?!" she asked teasingly, as if she were Judy

interrogating a prisoner. Sonic put his hands up in the air as if to say, "Don't shoot, I'm still a

good guy." Then he replied, "Well, remember all those 'selfies' that I claimed to take that night

before we went to Cash Cow?" (See Chapter 9, Part 2) She nodded, smiling at that memory.

"Well 'Zelle…" he said, using a new nickname for her. "...you're not the only one who lied." he

said, showing a sneaky smirk to his friend. She then saw her phone vibrate and show the

message, "Sonic has asked you to be his friend on Tweeter: Interdimensional. Would you like to

accept?" She then eagerly pressed "Yes" and as soon as she did, it was revealed that she

received about 150 new messages from Sonic. She then laughed in humorous anticipation for

what was to come. "Sonic, what did you do?" she asked, with pretend concern. He slyly

responded, "Open it up and see." She pressed one of the videos to reveal Sonic, who was

running around the mall for a bit until he stopped to find a quetzal. She then heard the video go

on as Sonic started to interview her. " _Hey you, how're you doing?_ " She heard her friend ask the

quetzal. " _I'm doing great, thank you._ " the quetzal responded back. " _Alright that's good, what's_

 _your name?_ " the conversation continued as Gazelle turned up her phone to hear the video

better. " _I'm Grace. Hey, you're that hedgehog that saved Gazelle during that concert, weren't_

 _you?_ " (Yes, that's the same Grace that helped Silver and Tails in Chapter 7: Part 1.)

 _You know what, this dialogue is gonna help you understand the conversation taking place on_

 _Gazelle's phone better._

Sonic: " _Oh, so you know about Gazelle then huh?_ "

Grace: " _Are you kidding me, she's been the absolute role-model for me._ "

Sonic: " _Really? What makes her such a good role-model?_ "

Grace: " _Are you kidding me? Ok, ok, so you know how a LOT of rockstars try to look pretty with_

 _all of that makeup and do all sorts of ridiculous surgeries to look beautiful? Well Gazelle's not_

 _like that at all. She's always looks her best by just being herself and showing that the best way_

 _to feel great about yourself is to be proud of who you are. And I really like how she encourages_

 _people to give to charity or help others out while she actually is doing it. She's been a great_

 _example to me and to_ all _of Zootopia."_

Gazelle was overjoyed at that response from one admiring fan, then she scrolled through a few

more videos. From average citizens to celebrities like Mayor Talon, Chief Bogo, Judy Hopps

and yes even Benjamin Clawhauser joined in on the fun. (Although she didn't want to watch his

video until later because it was about 10 minutes long on account of it taking him at least 7 to sit

still.) "Gazelle?" Sonic whispered to her, which made her turn around to look him in the eyes.

"It's just like you told me earlier. 'Everyone makes mistakes.' It's up to you on whether you're

willing to forgive yourself or not. 'Cause I know I forgive you." she chuckled at Sonic, because

she was finally letting go of the guilt that held her down. Sonic, mis-assuming the chuckling for

disbelief, continued on. "No really. Everything's fine, _all_ of it's forgiven. Not just some of it or part

of it, but I forgive you for _all_ of it." Gazelle smiled contentedly as Sonic went on. "And nothing

you're ever gonna do or already have done's gonna change how much I love you. I love you

more than you know it, well, better than _I_ can put into words anyway." Gazelle felt as joyful as a

young schoolgirl as she swooped her unsuspecting friend from under his feet, grabbed his

hands, twirled him around and gave him a big embrace. "Of course I'm forgiven. I'm forgiven by

the best, and I know it." she said, as she gave Sonic a noogie, aka a friendly rub on the head.

"No way, _you're_ the best." Sonic objected, which lead to Gazelle adding to the playful

argumentative banter of who was the best between the two.

 _Oh boy, I know_ that _banter is gonna take a while, so let's find Silver and Judy._

The party was in full swing as various Zootopian citizens were either playing fun games, eating

a wide variety of snacks that were suitable for every animal guest, bouncing on one of several

bouncy houses that were half as high as the skyscrapers or trying to get a

picture/selfie/autograph from Sonic and Gazelle (aka, the two celebrities of the hour.) But two

guests in particular, Silver the Hedgehog and Nick Wilde, were sitting down on a bench that was

right outside a bug-taco restaurant. "Everything going ok with your shoulders Whitey?" Nick

asked, starting a conversation. Silver was released from the hospital a few minutes after the

battle royal after tests revealed that it was ok for him to get out. However though, he still had to

wear shoulder braces and enter physical therapy for about 3-4 months. "It's getting better." He

replied, before he gained a somber complexion after watching Judy bounce and go really high

on the bouncy house. She seemed to be having a thrilling time as she was shrieking and

laughing at the same time as she was being bounced up and down. "I just wish I were out

there." Silver thought out loud. "Out with your bunny?" Silver thought about Nick's statement for

a bit. He knew that only by staying in Zootopia would he ever get a chance to really make her

his, and that chance was more likely with his injury. But there was the other side of that coin.

The side that thought that going home might be better for recovery, while potentially missing out

on a great chance. He was about to respond to Nick, but his communicator fell from his lap and

the button hit the street to play a message. The message, which was apparently from Blaze,

made Silver somewhat nervous, but calmed down enough to hear it.

 _Blaze's Message…_

 _Silver, if you can hear me now, this is Blaze. I hope you're able to find this message because I_

 _have something important to tell you. I'm honored to know and to love a friend as amazing as_

 _you are. Somebody that makes me laugh, see the best in myself and helps me to understand_

 _and be proud of who I am, flames and all. You have been more than a brother to me Silver. And_

 _with that, I say, whether you find the one you want to start a romantic relationship with or not,_

 _know that I will always be your friend and I will always,_ always _, be there for you._

 _-Your friend, Blaze._

"Awe." Silver heard a female's voice from behind him, snapping him out of his trance. He turned

to see Judy sitting where Nick was a few seconds ago. "Wait, where did Nick go?" Silver asked.

Judy hopped over to him to give him a little nudge on the legs. "He left to talk to Sonic for a bit.

Still though Silver, I'm with Blaze here. She seems like she's real nice." Silver turned to Judy

with a smirk on his face. "Yeah. She really is nice. She's so nice, she's on fire." Judy gave Silver

a "What?" look, obviously not getting the joke. Silver forgot the fact that since she had never

been to Mobius, she wouldn't have known _everything_ about his friends. "Blaze has pyrokinesis,

that's where I got that joke from." Judy didn't laugh, but she now had a better understanding of

that sense of humor. "Silver, I promise you. No matter what you choose to do, I will always

remember the fun we had. And if you and your friends _ever_ come back, I will always be there for

you. I promise." Judy said, finishing by crossing her heart with her pointer. Judy leaned in for a

hug to remember her friend by. The friend, that may leave her side once again. The one, who

taught her more than the ZPD ever could.

 _Timeskip… Night_

"Alright, trajectory and location are set. We are ready to go." Tails said, readying up his portal

which was going to take himself, Sonic and Silver back to Mobius, where friends were sure to

miss them. "Alright Sonic, you got everything you need, right?" he asked, checking to make sure

everything was in order. Sonic flashed Tails a thumbs-up. "Yep, everything's ready to go.

Although I _do_ wanna visit this place again sometime again. I had a _blast_!" he said, thrilled at

the trip. "Feel free to use the portal anytime for that." Tails affirmed, excited that his friend found

excitement, as well as purpose, as a result of the trip. "As long as you ask and we're not already

in the middle of world-saving." Tails added. Sonic nodded, as all the Zootopians who said their

goodbyes; including Judy, Nick and Gazelle waved at them as the portal took the Mobians

home. Although she was happy to see her friend go back home safe and sound, as well as

knowing that they could see each other again soon, she still felt a big gap in her bunny heart

start to grow. Nick, who understood how emotional Judy could get at a moment like this, backed

away and walked towards his apartment. Judy was all alone in City Central after the party all

packed up. All alone. The perfect space to mourn over the loss of a friend, a really close one at

that. Because there would be no one to judge, criticize, demean or bother her. She could have

all the privacy in the cold, damp pouring rain to drown her sorrows. A few minutes later,

somebody came up from behind her as she was kneeling. "Hey, are you alright? It seems like

you lost your best friend." the voice asked sympathetically. Judy nodded, not wanting to verbally

discuss anything with anyone at the moment. "Maybe I can help. I know a thing or two about

losing a friend." Judy turned around to see the figure, but was in shock at what she saw. Silver

was kneeling right next to her and his casts were off his shoulders. "But how?!" Judy asked,

crying tears of joy now. "Sonic healed me with the emeralds." he replied. "Now are you gonna

give me a hug or not Judy?" As he held his arms out to grab her, the excitement with which she

leapt into his arms verified that she was, indeed, lightened with joy, even in the dark rainstorm.

 _In Zootopia City Hall…_

City Hall was a place that was always opened for storms such as this in case the weather got

overly disastrous and that's where Silver and Judy walked to to resume their talk as Mayor Talon

wrapped the duo up in towels for them to dry with. He then too left the two alone to chat in

privacy and also so he can resume his mayoral duties. Judy made the first move, "So Silver, I

thought you were gone. Going home." she said, in curiosity as to why Silver stayed. He smiled.

"Last time I checked, home is where the heart is. And my heart is right here." he said, pointing at

Judy. "Sonic and Tails said they understood how I felt and that they were gonna make visits to

Zootopia with the portal every now and then anyway, so it's cool. Anyway, a certain bunny told

me that there was a place where I could be a cop. Any ideas on how to get there?" Silver asked,

jokingly. Judy smiled, just grateful at the fact that her friend was back. To stay. "Well, I don't

know anything about that, but actually, I have a friend at the ZPD. Chief Bogo's the best in the

biz, if anyone can get you in there, he can." she quipped, borrowing and adapting a line Nick

used during their first case. "Well then," Silver countered. "We better go find him because I

wanna join my best bunny on the force." The two continued to make happy talk and banter all

the way back to Judy's apartment. Bucky and Prong (her neighbors) were unable to pay their

debts and received all sorts of complaints from neighbors, so the head of Judy's apartment

kicked them out, leaving a vacant room for Silver to stay in for the time being.

 _I'm so glad to see things end well for them. Meanwhile though, back in Gazelle's house…_

Gazelle was one of the animals who left the party earlier to avoid being caught by the rain. As

she went back home, she recollected her memories of the adventure she had with Sonic over

the past few days. She no longer saw herself as a crystal statute, or her love as something as

inanimate as an open door. Rather she saw love as a plant that needed to be continually

nurtured and watered daily and she saw herself as someone who was _always_ improving. Just

like Judy, Gazelle was missing her lover from another planet. Unlike the bunny though, she

would have to wait for a while to see her hero, her Sonic, once again. As she continued to relive

the happy memories, she got on her computer, opened her e-mail and printed off a picture of

Sonic from their adventure. Then, she grabbed a pair of scissors to cut an outline of his head.

Finally, she put glue on the back of the cutout of his head and found the first picture she had

shown him. She sighed contentedly at the thought of someone so amazing, courageous, daring

and compassionate as she put the cutout on the piece of paper to cover up the head where

there was a question mark before. She blew the cutout a kiss, then whispered, "I'll always love

you Sonic the Hedgehog. And I can't wait until we meet again."

 _The End_

 _#LITO by Press Play plays…_

" _I've got a story, I've got a story that I got to tell"_

" _You only live once, so tonight I'm gonna live it well"_

 _Sing it out, sing it out, sing it out; Let the music come to life, come to life, come to life."_

" _This is the time, to li-i-i-ive"_

" _This is the time, to da-a-a-ance"_

" _This is your life; Your cha-a-a-ance to love in the open, Love in the open"_

" _Life's a dance floor, and your song could be the base and beat"_

" _Love's like a rhythm, 'Cause without it nothing seems in key"_

" _Sing it out, sing it out, sing it out; Let the music come to life; Come to life, come to life, come to_

 _life"_

" _This is the time, to li-i-i-ive"_

" _This is the time, to da-a-a-ance"_

" _This is your life, Your cha-a-a-ance; to love in the open, Love in the open"_

" _This is the time, to li-i-i-ive"_

" _This is the time, to da-a-a-ance"_

" _This is your life, your cha-a-a-ance; to love in the open, Love in the Open"_

" _Sing it out, sing it out, sing it out. Let the music come to life, come to life, Sing it out, let the_

 _music come to life, come to life, Sing it out, Let the music come to life_

 _Come to life, sing it out Let the music come to life, come to life_

 _Sing it out, let the music come to life, come to life, Sing it out, Let the music come to life_

 _sing it out, sing it out, Let the music come to life, come to life, come to life."_

" _This is the time, to li-i-i-ive"_

" _This is the time, to da-a-a-ance"_

" _This is your life Your cha-a-a-ance To love in the open, Love in the Open"_

" _This is the time, to li-i-i-ive"_

" _This is the time, to da-a-a-ance"_

" _This is your life,your cha-a-a-ance"_

" _To love in the open, Love in the Open"_

" _Whoa-oh"_

" _Love in the Open"_

 _Not so fast…_ MEANWHILE, _on Darkham Asylum._

Sirens began to blast and blare as some of Mobius's worst criminals were being sucked of their

energy by the evil fox only known as Dark Foxen. He cleverly plotted this at a time where it

would be reported by the news as a prank rather than an anomaly. The security guards were in

a panicked frenzy as they attempted to shoot him, but the bullets had next to no affect on the

warrior, as some of the guards were also absorbed as well. He finally went to the cell of the

villain known as Dr. Eggman. When he open the Doctor's cell door, Eggman's first reaction was

to shudder and shake in fear. "I-i-impossible," he stuttered. "You've been dormant, and that

prophecy hasn't come true after 5,000 years of…" those words happened to be Eggman's last,

as he too was absorbed into Dark Foxen's body. He grinned an evil grin as he flew into space

and waited. Waited for the next part of his plan to take place. "I have built it," he muttered in a

deep evil voice. "They will come."

 _Well guys, FINALLY. It took some hard work, but my first ever Fanfic is in the books. Special_

 _thanks to all who have either read, PM'd, Reviewed or just supported in general. Special thanks_

 _for this chap goes to SusannahLilly for helping me figure out how to resolve Sonic and Gazelle's_

 _conflict, but really, thanks to ALL supporters for helping me out in this project. Try Everything is_

 _owned by Shakira and #LITO is owned by Press Play (Any_ and _all content not owned by me is_

 _used for_ educational _and_ entertainment _purposes_ only. _Any OC characters you wish to use_ WILL

 _need to have my permission before using in any way, shape or form.) Well, that's it for this_

 _story. T_ _he second story in the LITO Trilogy_

 _officially entitled,_ "Rise of the Resistance" _, and I've decided NOT to do a Q &A chapter after all for two reasons. First, I really want to start on Rise of the _

_Resistance and Second, I din't want to spoil anybody. That would take all of the fun out of reading it for yourself. ;-)_

 _Until next time: Keep Loving, Keep Edifying, Keep_

 _LoveandEdifying. See ya!_


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